Japan is a country that I never thought I’d ever visit. Especially in my early twenties. During my time working on a cruise ship, I was lucky enough to visit many cities and hidden gems within the country. Including Nagasaki, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Kobe and the Okinawan Islands.
Out of all the trips I’ve been on, to everyone I meet, my time working on a cruise ship definitely proves to be the most interesting. 4 years on and I still get asked a lot of questions regarding ship life. Did you like it? Did you miss home? Were you allowed off the ship? I can answer these questions very easily - YES!
Japan has way more to offer than just bustling cities, culture and incredible food. The country is made up of over 6,000 islands and is surrounded by some of the clearest water in the world. Whilst travelling and working on a cruise ship in 2017, one of our main routes was sailing to three islands in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan's mainland. Okinawa, Miyakojima and Ishigaki are all in the Okinawa Prefecture.