Aboard Seabourn Quest with Seabourn
Cruise Overview
In 1853, a fleet of four American warships under Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into the bay of Tokyo (then Edo) and presented the reluctant Japanese with the demands of the U.S.
Government for the opening of diplomatic and commercial relations.
The following year Perry returned and first set foot on Japanese soil at Yokohama—then a small fishing village on the mudflats of Tokyo bay.
Two years later New York businessman Townsend Harris became America's first diplomatic representative to Japan.
In 1858 he was finally able to negotiate a commercial treaty between the two countries; part of the deal designated four locations—one of them Yokohama—as treaty ports.
In 1859 the shogunate created a special settlement in Yokohama for the growing community of merchants, traders, missionaries, and other assorted adventurers drawn to this exotic new land of opportunity.
The foreigners (predominantly Chinese and British, plus a few French, Americans, and Dutch) were confined here to a guarded compound about 5 square km (2 square miles)—placed, in effect, in isolation—but not for long.
Within a few short years the shogunal government collapsed, and Japan began to modernize.
Western ideas were welcomed, as were Western goods, and the little treaty port became Japan's principal gateway to the outside world.
In 1872 Japan's first railway was built, linking Yokohama and Tokyo.
In 1889 Yokohama became a city; by then the population had grown to some 120,000.
As the city prospered, so did the international community and by the early 1900s Yokohama was the busiest and most modern center of international trade in all of East Asia.
Then Yokohama came tumbling down.
On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated the city.
The ensuing fires destroyed some 60,000 homes and took more than 40,000 lives.
During the six years it took to rebuild the city, many foreign businesses took up quarters elsewhere, primarily in Kobe and Osaka, and did not return.
Over the next 20 years Yokohama continued to grow as an industrial center—until May 29, 1945, when in a span of four hours, some 500 American B-29 bombers leveled nearly half the city and left more than half a million people homeless.
When the war ended, what remained became—in effect—the center of the Allied occupation.
General Douglas MacArthur set up headquarters here, briefly, before moving to Tokyo; the entire port facility and about a quarter of the city remained in the hands of the U.S.
Military throughout the 1950s.
By the 1970s Yokohama was once more rising from the debris; in 1978 it surpassed Osaka as the nation's second-largest city, and the population is now inching up to the 3.5 million mark.
Boosted by Japan's postwar economic miracle, Yokohama has extended its urban sprawl north to Tokyo and south to Kamakura—in the process creating a whole new subcenter around the Shinkansen Station at Shin-Yokohama.
The development of air travel and the competition from other ports have changed the city's role in Japan's economy.
The great liners that once docked at Yokohama's piers are now but a memory, kept alive by a museum ship and the occasional visit of a luxury vessel on a Pacific cruise.
Modern Large as Yokohama is, the central area is very negotiable.
As with any other port city, much of what it has to offer centers on the waterfront—in this case, on the west side of Tokyo Bay.
The downtown area is called Kannai (literally, "within the checkpoint"); this is where the international community was originally confined by the shogunate.
Though the center of interest has expanded to include the waterfront and Ishikawa-cho, to the south, Kannai remains the heart of town.
Think of that heart as two adjacent areas.
One is the old district of Kannai, bounded by Basha-michi on the northwest and Nippon-odori on the southeast, the Keihin Tohoku Line tracks on the southwest, and the waterfront on the northeast.
This area contains the business offices of modern Yokohama.
The other area extends southeast from Nippon-odori to the Moto-machi shopping street and the International Cemetery, bordered by Yamashita Koen and the waterfront to the northeast; in the center is Chinatown, with Ishikawa-cho Station to the southwest.
This is the most interesting part of town for tourists.
Whether you're coming from Tokyo, Nagoya, or Kamakura, make Ishikawa-cho Station your starting point.
Take the South Exit from the station and head in the direction of the waterfront.
History buffs will want to write home Hiroshima.
Despite being devastated in 1945, this Japanese city is known to all for its commitment peace – its ruin on the 6th August 1945 led to the end of the war and today, the Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , is a constant reminder of the destruction that war brings.
A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation.
The Flames of Peace – set in the park’s central feature pond – burn brightly and will continue to do so until all the nuclear bombs I the world have been destroyed.
There are many other inspiring messages of hope around the city too; the Children’s’ Peace Monument just north of the park is a homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two in 1945.
When she developed leukemia in 1956, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes – a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan – she would recover.
Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest.
It is impossible to ignore the events of 1945 in Hiroshima, but this is far from a depressing place.
The great efforts that have been made in rebuilding of the city over the years have given Hiroshima a vibrant, eclectic edge, with the downtown shopping area and street food stalls being well worth a visit.
The proximity to Miyajima and its iconic, impressive, Torii gate should not be overlooked either.
If you are lucky enough to visit during the unpredictable and short-lived Sakura (cherry blossom) season, then the extraordinary sight of the delicate pink blossom floating across the water to the red gate, means you can consider yourself one of the luckiest people on the planet.
History buffs will want to write home Hiroshima.
Despite being devastated in 1945, this Japanese city is known to all for its commitment peace – its ruin on the 6th August 1945 led to the end of the war and today, the Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , is a constant reminder of the destruction that war brings.
A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation.
The Flames of Peace – set in the park’s central feature pond – burn brightly and will continue to do so until all the nuclear bombs I the world have been destroyed.
There are many other inspiring messages of hope around the city too; the Children’s’ Peace Monument just north of the park is a homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two in 1945.
When she developed leukemia in 1956, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes – a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan – she would recover.
Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest.
It is impossible to ignore the events of 1945 in Hiroshima, but this is far from a depressing place.
The great efforts that have been made in rebuilding of the city over the years have given Hiroshima a vibrant, eclectic edge, with the downtown shopping area and street food stalls being well worth a visit.
The proximity to Miyajima and its iconic, impressive, Torii gate should not be overlooked either.
If you are lucky enough to visit during the unpredictable and short-lived Sakura (cherry blossom) season, then the extraordinary sight of the delicate pink blossom floating across the water to the red gate, means you can consider yourself one of the luckiest people on the planet.
Government for the opening of diplomatic and commercial relations.
The following year Perry returned and first set foot on Japanese soil at Yokohama—then a small fishing village on the mudflats of Tokyo bay.
Two years later New York businessman Townsend Harris became America's first diplomatic representative to Japan.
In 1858 he was finally able to negotiate a commercial treaty between the two countries; part of the deal designated four locations—one of them Yokohama—as treaty ports.
In 1859 the shogunate created a special settlement in Yokohama for the growing community of merchants, traders, missionaries, and other assorted adventurers drawn to this exotic new land of opportunity.
The foreigners (predominantly Chinese and British, plus a few French, Americans, and Dutch) were confined here to a guarded compound about 5 square km (2 square miles)—placed, in effect, in isolation—but not for long.
Within a few short years the shogunal government collapsed, and Japan began to modernize.
Western ideas were welcomed, as were Western goods, and the little treaty port became Japan's principal gateway to the outside world.
In 1872 Japan's first railway was built, linking Yokohama and Tokyo.
In 1889 Yokohama became a city; by then the population had grown to some 120,000.
As the city prospered, so did the international community and by the early 1900s Yokohama was the busiest and most modern center of international trade in all of East Asia.
Then Yokohama came tumbling down.
On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated the city.
The ensuing fires destroyed some 60,000 homes and took more than 40,000 lives.
During the six years it took to rebuild the city, many foreign businesses took up quarters elsewhere, primarily in Kobe and Osaka, and did not return.
Over the next 20 years Yokohama continued to grow as an industrial center—until May 29, 1945, when in a span of four hours, some 500 American B-29 bombers leveled nearly half the city and left more than half a million people homeless.
When the war ended, what remained became—in effect—the center of the Allied occupation.
General Douglas MacArthur set up headquarters here, briefly, before moving to Tokyo; the entire port facility and about a quarter of the city remained in the hands of the U.S.
Military throughout the 1950s.
By the 1970s Yokohama was once more rising from the debris; in 1978 it surpassed Osaka as the nation's second-largest city, and the population is now inching up to the 3.5 million mark.
Boosted by Japan's postwar economic miracle, Yokohama has extended its urban sprawl north to Tokyo and south to Kamakura—in the process creating a whole new subcenter around the Shinkansen Station at Shin-Yokohama.
The development of air travel and the competition from other ports have changed the city's role in Japan's economy.
The great liners that once docked at Yokohama's piers are now but a memory, kept alive by a museum ship and the occasional visit of a luxury vessel on a Pacific cruise.
Modern Large as Yokohama is, the central area is very negotiable.
As with any other port city, much of what it has to offer centers on the waterfront—in this case, on the west side of Tokyo Bay.
The downtown area is called Kannai (literally, "within the checkpoint"); this is where the international community was originally confined by the shogunate.
Though the center of interest has expanded to include the waterfront and Ishikawa-cho, to the south, Kannai remains the heart of town.
Think of that heart as two adjacent areas.
One is the old district of Kannai, bounded by Basha-michi on the northwest and Nippon-odori on the southeast, the Keihin Tohoku Line tracks on the southwest, and the waterfront on the northeast.
This area contains the business offices of modern Yokohama.
The other area extends southeast from Nippon-odori to the Moto-machi shopping street and the International Cemetery, bordered by Yamashita Koen and the waterfront to the northeast; in the center is Chinatown, with Ishikawa-cho Station to the southwest.
This is the most interesting part of town for tourists.
Whether you're coming from Tokyo, Nagoya, or Kamakura, make Ishikawa-cho Station your starting point.
Take the South Exit from the station and head in the direction of the waterfront.
History buffs will want to write home Hiroshima.
Despite being devastated in 1945, this Japanese city is known to all for its commitment peace – its ruin on the 6th August 1945 led to the end of the war and today, the Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , is a constant reminder of the destruction that war brings.
A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation.
The Flames of Peace – set in the park’s central feature pond – burn brightly and will continue to do so until all the nuclear bombs I the world have been destroyed.
There are many other inspiring messages of hope around the city too; the Children’s’ Peace Monument just north of the park is a homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two in 1945.
When she developed leukemia in 1956, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes – a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan – she would recover.
Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest.
It is impossible to ignore the events of 1945 in Hiroshima, but this is far from a depressing place.
The great efforts that have been made in rebuilding of the city over the years have given Hiroshima a vibrant, eclectic edge, with the downtown shopping area and street food stalls being well worth a visit.
The proximity to Miyajima and its iconic, impressive, Torii gate should not be overlooked either.
If you are lucky enough to visit during the unpredictable and short-lived Sakura (cherry blossom) season, then the extraordinary sight of the delicate pink blossom floating across the water to the red gate, means you can consider yourself one of the luckiest people on the planet.
History buffs will want to write home Hiroshima.
Despite being devastated in 1945, this Japanese city is known to all for its commitment peace – its ruin on the 6th August 1945 led to the end of the war and today, the Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , is a constant reminder of the destruction that war brings.
A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation.
The Flames of Peace – set in the park’s central feature pond – burn brightly and will continue to do so until all the nuclear bombs I the world have been destroyed.
There are many other inspiring messages of hope around the city too; the Children’s’ Peace Monument just north of the park is a homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two in 1945.
When she developed leukemia in 1956, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes – a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan – she would recover.
Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest.
It is impossible to ignore the events of 1945 in Hiroshima, but this is far from a depressing place.
The great efforts that have been made in rebuilding of the city over the years have given Hiroshima a vibrant, eclectic edge, with the downtown shopping area and street food stalls being well worth a visit.
The proximity to Miyajima and its iconic, impressive, Torii gate should not be overlooked either.
If you are lucky enough to visit during the unpredictable and short-lived Sakura (cherry blossom) season, then the extraordinary sight of the delicate pink blossom floating across the water to the red gate, means you can consider yourself one of the luckiest people on the planet.
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard Seabourn Quest
Launch Year: 2011 Length: 198 Width: 26 Currency: USD Capacity: 450 Crew Count: 330 Deck Count: 10 Cabin Count: 229
Seabourn Quest is the third iteration of the vessel design that has been called “a game-changer for the luxury segment.” True to her Seabourn bloodlines, wherever she sails around the world, Seabourn Quest carries with her a bevy of award-winning dining venues that are comparable to the finest restaurants to be found anywhere. Seabourn Quest offers a variety of dining options to suit every taste and every mood, with never an extra charge.
Seabourn Quest Facilities
Seabourn Quest Includes
Cabin Details
Seabourn Quest offers nine types of suites, eight of which feature verandas. Designed as home away from homes, these suites aim to be the place for you to unwind at the end of the day. Featuring a range of traditional cabin amenities, each also benefit from a Personal Suite Stewardess who will welcome you with Champagne and canapés, draw you a relaxing bath and assist you with anything you might need during your stay.
