كيوشو وما وراءها: السواحل المقدسة في اليابان

Sailing through the Kanmon Strait is challenging with strong currents and an S-shaped bend. One of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the strait cuts a dramatic 38 km (24 mi) channel, narrowing to 700 m (0.4 mi) at its tightest point. The graceful Kanmon Bridge, a 1,068-m (3,504-ft) suspension bridge, spans the waterway between Honshu and Kyushu. Shimonoseki overlooks the strait from Honshu, while Moji district stands watch from Kyushu

Maizuru carries naval history and a clear link to the Meiji era, with brick warehouses and a harbour built for strategy. The wider region opens into classic Kyoto area scenery, where refined culture, temples, and historic districts are within reach. It is a day that balances port history with inland elegance

Sakaiminato has the feel of a working coastal town, shaped by seafood, folklore, and a slower pace. Nearby landscapes shift quickly from shoreline to forested mountains, with gardens and museum spaces that match the region’s quiet aesthetic. It is a softer, more intimate stop after Busan

Busan is a port city with beaches, hills, and a busy harbour energy. It blends memorial sites and modern neighbourhoods with markets that still feel local and direct. Compared to Japan’s smaller ports, it is louder, bigger, and more urban

Though devastated by an atomic blast in 1945, this resilient harbour city of Nagasaki still stands. The Atomic Bomb Museum and adjoining Peace Memorial Hall document the tragic history. A cable car ascends Mount Inasa for sweeping city views, while leafy Glover Garden features historic Western mansions. On tiny artificial Dejima Island, reconstructed 17th-century warehouses recall the former Dutch trading post

Sakitsu Village, on the Amakusa Islands in western Kumamoto, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site tied to Japan’s Hidden Christian history. Once a secret hub of worship during prohibition, it’s home to Sakitsu Church, known as the “Church of the Sea,” with a European Gothic exterior and rare tatami-mat interior. The village’s story is further told at the Minato-ya Museum, which displays artefacts used to practice the faith in secret

Kagoshima, on the southwest tip of Japan’s Kyushu Island, is home to several glassmakers and potteries where artisans specialise in making Satsuma pottery and delicately cut Kiriko glassware. This city is a mix of classic Japanese architecture, modern high-rises and a spattering of Art Deco buildings. Observation points around the city provide dramatic views of Mount Sakurajima, an active volcano on a nearby island that regularly smokes

Uwajima, a bustling coastal city, is anchored by the elegant Uwajima Castle, one of twelve Edo-period survivors, with spectacular cityscapes for hikers ascending to its keep. The Tensha-en Garden is a tranquil space with bamboo groves, towering culms and seasonal blooms. In the nearby village of Uchiko, the Old Quarter's streets are lined with well-preserved wooden houses and merchant buildings, frozen in time from the 18th and 19th centuries

The Seto Inland Sea, known as Setouchi, stretches between Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, its sheltered waters scattered with hundreds of islands. Sailing through its channels reveals wooded shores, small fishing communities and bridges spanning the water between islands. Ancient maritime routes once carried traders and pilgrims through this region, while today its calm seas and closely gathered islands create one of Japan’s most distinctive coastal landscapes. Spend time on deck as SH Minerva moves through this quieter side of Japan toward Onomichi

On the Seto Inland Sea, Itozaki Shrine serves as an 8th-century guardian of the sea with rich local legend. Nearby Onomichi offers stunning beauty and culture, known for its Temple Walk connecting 25 Buddhist temples along a 2.5km path and the Path of Literature with 25 natural stone monuments engraved with passages on Mount Senkoji. This charming city is also the starting point of the Shimanami Kaido, a world-famous 70km cycling route.

Hiroshima is a city of peace and resilience. The Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, vividly portrays the aftermath of the atomic bombing. Designed by Kenzō Tange and inaugurated in 1955, the museum serves as a global symbol of peace, featuring a solemn cenotaph bearing the victims' names and the Flame of Peace, lit in 1964. The Genbaku Dome stands as the sole original structure left at the blast site