Mitsui Ocean Fuji shore excursions promise the authentic Japan

The 458-passsenger vessel, nearing the end of its service as Seabourn Odyssey, just embarked on its Seabourn farewell voyage en route to Yokohama for handover to Mitsui Ocean Cruises later this month.

Dec. 1 inaugural 

Mitsui is marking the countdown until the ship's Dec. 1 introduction, following a refurbishment.

The inaugural season's shore excursion program was created in partnership with local experts and tourism boards, according to Sae Ichikawa, destination experience general manager, with the goal of helping guests to 'deeply experience the culture and history of each region and foster warm connections and new relationships with people met along the way.'

In Beppu, for example, a local expert will lead travelers to explore traditional sweet shops and the town's famous hot springs. At Hiroshima, a tour will visit the sake brewery where the sake served at the G7 Hiroshima Summit is brewed, with lunch featuring a sake pairing.

Satsuma porcelain

At Kagoshima Mitsui Ocean Fuji passengers can visit the Chin Jukan Kiln, a historic Satsuma porcelain kiln dating to the 16th century, and observe the production process. In the adjoining cafe, Korean cuisine is served on Satsuma ware.

Among the other tours is a visit to a workshop that's crafted the traditional family crest furafu (flags) for more than 400 years in Kochi, and a luxurious lunch of local shippoku at a historic restaurant in Nagasaki with an exclusive visit to a geisha's training room and geisha performances.

Picking mandarin oranges

At Matsuyama tour participants can pick mandarin oranges in the terraced fields of Mukainada alongside a fourth-generation farmer.

These and further curated tours are offered at Mitsui Ocean Fuji's other ports in Japan and in Korea through sailings into early 2025.