Treasures Of Japan By Sea – With Smithsonian Journeys

Osaka, the heart of the Greater Osaka Area, is located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, and is the third largest city in Japan. Historically it is also regarded as the commercial capital of Japan, as evidenced by its daytime population being over a million greater than its night time population. From above ground and underground shopping malls and specialised shopping complexes, to the unusual America Mura which offers both new and used clothing, as well as flea markets, and the Asia Pacific Trade Centre with its international wholesale market, shopping here truly is a fascinating experience. Read more about Osaka, Japan

Tamano is a city of 60,000 located in the southern Okayama Prefecture, Japan, on the island of Honshu. It faces SE to the waters of the Seto Inland Sea, one of the first national parks designated in Japan. The port is a terminal for a number of ferries that service the region, and the port area has been developed as a cultural exchange zone. Read more about Tamano, Japan

Popularly known as Miyajima, the Shrine Island, Itsukushima is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the NW of Hiroshima Bay. The island lies 12 km WSW of the port of Hiroshima, and is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The gigantic red gate to the shrine can be reached at low tide off the north side of the island. Read more about Miyajima, Japan

Beppu, a city that overlooks Beppu Bay and is backed by mountains, is located in the Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is considered to be Japan’s hot springs capital as it has the second largest volume of hot water in the world - after Yellowstone in the United States - and the largest number of hot spring sources in Japan. This tourist town has nine spectacular geothermal hot springs that are referred to as the ‘nine hells of Beppu’, certainly the major attraction for visitors. Read more about Beppu, Japan

Hagi is a small city (pop. 50,000) lying on the SW coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Across the Sea of Japan it faces Pusan, South Korea, 220 km distant. Read more about Hagi, Japan

Sakaiminato is an important fishing port facing Mihio Bay and the Sea of Japan to the east, and inland Lake Nakaumi to the west. It lies in the middle of West Japan. South of the port is the sweeping 15km Yumi-ga-Hama Beach, and 30km to the ESE rises the great snow-capped summit of Mt. Read more about Sakaiminato (for Matsue), Japan

Busan (formerly Pusan), the second largest city and principal port of South Korea, is situated in the SE of the peninsula on the Korea Strait. The city has many steep hills, creating a delightful mix of mountains and ocean. While Busan was relatively untouched during the Korean War, the flood of refugees has shaped the city. Read more about Busan, South Korea

Busan (formerly Pusan), the second largest city and principal port of South Korea, is situated in the SE of the peninsula on the Korea Strait. The city has many steep hills, creating a delightful mix of mountains and ocean. While Busan was relatively untouched during the Korean War, the flood of refugees has shaped the city. Read more about Busan, South Korea