Trip Summary
Sail from Kanazawa to Kobe aboard the intimate, all-suite Island Sky this April, when Japan's temples, gardens, and castle towns are draped in the fresh beauty of spring. Accompanied by Dartmouth study leader Michael Mastanduno—a distinguished professor of international relations with deep expertise in the Asia-Pacific—you'll explore one of the world's most culturally rich destinations with rare depth and scholarly context.
Begin in Kanazawa, Japan's elegant "mini-Kyoto," strolling the winding paths of Kenroku-en, one of the country's top three landscape gardens, before immersing yourself in local tradition with a tea ceremony or a hands-on wagashi sweets workshop. As you cruise along the Sea of Japan, visit Matsue Castle—home to Japan's second-largest original wooden keep—and cross into South Korea for a full day in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom and a UNESCO World Cultural Site. In Sasebo, weave through an archipelago of 208 islands by sightseeing boat, or step ashore on Hirado Island to discover its fascinating history as a center of early European trade.
A visit to Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and the haunting Atomic Bomb Dome offers a profound moment of reflection before continuing to Miyajima, where the legendary "floating" red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine rises dramatically from the sea at high tide. On Naoshima Island, explore world-class contemporary art museums set against a backdrop of serene island scenery. Enjoy a private lecture aboard the Island Sky with acclaimed author Pico Iyer, adding a special perspective to your exploration of Japan. Throughout the journey, thoughtfully curated excursions allow you to tailor each day to your interests, whether that means wandering castle gardens, exploring limestone caves, or savoring authentic Japanese and Korean cuisine at every port.
Event Itinerary
Days 1–2: Depart Home / Arrive in Kanazawa
- Depart on an overnight flight to Komatsu Airport and transfer to the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa
- Welcome orientation and dinner at the hotel
Day 3: Kanazawa / Embark Island Sky
- Choice of full-day excursions: visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go, renowned for its traditional thatched-roof farmhouses, or travel to Yamanaka Onsen, set along the scenic Kakusenkei Gorge and celebrated for its restorative hot springs
- Embark the Island Sky in the late afternoon; Captain's welcome dinner onboard
Day 4: Kanazawa
- Visit Kenroku-en, one of Japan's most celebrated landscape gardens
- Explore Kanazawa's preserved Edo-period samurai district
- Afternoon choice: participate in a traditional tea ceremony and visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, or join a hands-on wagashi Japanese sweets workshop
Day 5: Sakaiminato / Matsue
- Morning choice: visit the Adachi Museum of Art, celebrated for its exceptional Japanese gardens and collection of modern paintings, or explore Matsue Castle, one of Japan's few remaining original castles
- Free time to wander the charming Samurai Quarter
- Afternoon at sea with lectures on board
Day 6: Ulsan / Gyeongju, South Korea
- Full day in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Korea's Silla Kingdom and a UNESCO World Cultural Site
- Visit the Flying Horse Tomb, famed for its intricate carvings, and the National Museum housing Korea's historic treasures
- Traditional Korean lunch
- Visit the UNESCO-listed Bulguksa Temple
Day 7: Sasebo
- Choice of excursions: scenic cruise through 208 islands aboard a Kujukushima sightseeing boat, followed by sweeping views from Tenkaiho Observatory over Sasebo Port; or a boat ride to Hirado Island, where April brings vibrant green terraced rice fields and historic churches recalling early European trade and missionary activity
Day 8: Shimonoseki
- Visit the TOTO Museum
- Stroll the Mojiko Retro Area, a historic port district of preserved early 20th-century architecture
- Afternoon choice: explore Kokura Castle and its scenic gardens, or venture into the Akiyoshido Limestone Cave, one of Japan's largest cave systems
Day 9: Kure / Miyajima
- Transfer to Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- Pause at the Atomic Bomb Dome and place paper cranes at the Children's Peace Monument
- Continue by Zodiac to Miyajima Island to explore the iconic Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, known for its "floating" red torii gate at high tide
- Free time to stroll the island's streets and browse local shops
Day 10: Naoshima
- Morning on Naoshima Island, touring the Chichu Art Museum, the contemporary Benesse House Museum, and the Naoshima New Museum of Art
- Private lecture with acclaimed author Pico Iyer aboard the Island Sky
- Captain's farewell dinner onboard
Day 11: Kobe / Disembark / Depart for Home
- Disembark in Kobe and transfer to Osaka Itami Airport for flights home
Meet Your Faculty Expert
Michael Mastanduno
Michael Mastanduno is the Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government and from 2010 to 2017 served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. He has taught at Dartmouth since 1987, and his areas of research and teaching include international relations theory, U.S. foreign policy, and the politics of the world economy.
His current research concerns the rise of China and its implications for international economics and security. He is author or editor of numerous books including Economic Containment; Introduction to International Relations: Enduring Problems and Contemporary Perspectives; International Relations Theory and the Asia-Pacific; and International Relations Theory and the Consequences of Unipolarity. Professor Mastanduno lectures frequently in Europe and Asia and has been a guest faculty member at the University of Tokyo, the Graduate School of Economics and International Relations at Milan, and the Geneva Center for Security Policy, and, most recently, the London School of Economics.
He has been awarded fellowships from the Brookings Institution, the Salzburg Seminar, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the East-West Center. He served during sabbatical from Dartmouth as an assistant in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Phi Beta Kappa.
He also served as Director of Dartmouth’s John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, and is the recipient of Dartmouth’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarly Achievement.