No, that’s not a typo in the title. Melissa and I went to Japan and Alaska all the way back in April 2024, but I just got around to sorting and processing my photos now. Sorry. It is what it is. I assume these places haven’t changed too much in the meantime!
Our trip took us first to Tokyo, Japan, where we stayed for a few days. Then we boarded the Norwegian Jewel for a 14-day cruise to Sendai, Hakodate, Aomori, and Kushiro in Japan before crossing the Pacific Ocean (and the International Date Line) to Kodiak and Seward in Alaska.
We were originally supposed to visit Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on the island of Unalaska, but it was cancelled due to weather. That was disappointing for a World War II history nerd like myself. The Battle of Dutch Harbor opened Imperial Japan’s Aleutian Campaign. I joked before the trip that we were going to retrace the steps of the Imperial Navy from Japan to Alaska. (I politely did not repeat the joke while I was in Japan.)
Anyway, enjoy!
Appetizers
Before I get into the “real” photos of the various places we visited, here are a few “appetizers.” Among them you’ll find:
An Antonov An-124 freighter, one of the largest planes in the world, which was owned by Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines . . . until it was stranded in Toronto and seized by the Canadian government.
The Hotel New Otani in Tokyo (where we stayed), which played the headquarters of Osato Chemicals in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.
One of my Seiko watches on my wrist at the famous Seiko Clock Tower in Ginza.
Highest quality “Asia” merchandise for sale on board the ship.
Proof that I crossed the International Date Line and had two Wednesdays in one week! Wow!
These photos are from the several days we spent in Tokyo, which is Japan’s capital city. It is on the “main island” of Honshu. Places we visited include the Sinjuku Gyoen National Garden (and lots of cherry blossoms), Godzilla’s head in Shinjuku, the Gotokuji “Lucky Cat” Buddhist Temple, the Meiji Jungu Shinto Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo DisneySea (theme park), Ginza, and the Tsukiji Outer Market.
The first port on the cruise itself was the Japanese city of Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture (also on the “main island” of Honshu). We took an excursion by bus from there to the little fishing town of Matsushima, which is one of the historic Three Views of Japan. We had tea at the Kanrantei Tea House, visited the Matsushima Museum and the island of Fukuurajima, and took a scenic cruise around the bay.
The next stop was the city of Hakodate, a city in the Hokkaido Prefecture on the island of Hokkaido. We visited a fish market, the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden (and its famous hot-tubbing snow monkeys), and the Goryōkaku star fort. Hakodate was one of the first ports in Japan that was open to outsiders, so it also has some of the oldest Christian churches in Japan.
MashumaruKODF!ArtMarketLuckyTramwayOtter?CommunicateRock and Black!TramSame RiverRiver BridgeOctopusTo the SeaFYIUhTerror MonkeySmile!Yum. Concrete.GroomingChillContortStoicRelaxingMonkey ButtSplaySleepyBunchGuardingWalkingMultisplayEyesGood to KnowFake!OkayFakeagatorFlowersAttentionPokeyMore PokeyFountainThe BeetlesMany FlowersAnimalsGreen LizardOrange LizardMakes SenseHokkaido AnimeMonkey ArtOrchidsMore OrchidsNon-OrchidsOrchids AgainToo Many OrchidsOrchid OverdoseGood MannersHornedLonghornedAlso LonghornedBuggedPeninsulaHead ButtButt ButtBartDetective ConanShortsCatgirlHot ChefIt’s OKChatter?Not CreepySignShopTowerYES DroneI Have A WingBridge SignShiny FaceFort BuildingCrookedCannons92Plane-BudRudeYou Should Be HereProtectedLife From DeathBudsMountainsTreewayTower AgainStumpyUnderDogLittle TowerShopsBuildingStretchMuseumHm.Bird SignConcrete Pole!Episcopal ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchOrthodox SpireHuh?Catholic ChurchMary & JesusThe ShipStreetShipsVillain’s LairJoseph Hardy NeesimaSunsetBay
Aomori & Hirosaki
Our third Japanese port was Aomori, the capital city of Aomori Prefecture at the north end of the “main island” of Honshu. From there we took a bus tour to Hirosaki to see traditional floats at the Neputa-Mura museum and Hirosaki Castle. We spent the last part of the day back in Aomori.
Our last port in Japan was Kushiro, a town in Hokkaido Prefecture on the eastern part of the island of Hokkaido. We took a tour to the Kushiro Marsh Observatory, Akan International Crane Center, Kushiro Market, and Kushiro Musuem. The crane reserve is home to endangered red-crowned cranes, which are native to the island (and are starting to make a comeback).
ThingWelcome!Children of the WheatBear DeerCraneNikonThumb PieceLadder to NowhereParkingAntennaRustyBoardwalkSilhouette14GnarledDeterioratedHoleNailsCraneAlso CranePretzelFunky HeadGroomingContortBeanScratchStrutSide StrutInvertWoodedWalk AwayScreamersHm.CalendarQuestionConfusionFireGloryWarriorsAnswer 3No HandFake FishGreen FuzzAdjustingBeeeeeesBeeeeeeStuffyLittle StuffiesMany StuffiesDeerFuzzyStuffed SniffCan’t Bear ItHitchcock?Big BirdsGooseSadnessCrabbiesGorgeousNarfSea DogsNomsJewelryCrane ScaffoldStuffed BabyPrancerciseArtDing-a-LingWWII DamageGhostedFlying Cat?Sachi
Kodiak
Next was our multi-day trek across the Pacific. As I mentioned in the introduction, our planned stop in Dutch Harbor (Unalaska), Alaska, was canceled, so our first Alaskan port was Kodiak. We didn’t do much; we walked around for a while and saw the stuff near the port. It was a rainy day, but it’s still a beautiful place . . . and we saw a sea lion.
The cruise concluded in Seward, Alaska. Originally it would only have been a transfer port for boarding a bus to Anchorage, but we arrived a day early (since we skipped Dutch Harbor). That gave us the opportunity to go see the Alaska SeaLife Center . . . and puffins. Then, the next morning, it was off by bus through the Kenai peninsula to Anchorage for the flight home.
Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.
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