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Island Wonders & the Soul of Ancestral Japan

Naha, Okinawa - Kobe

Dates:
06/03/2026
to  19/03/2026

14
days
13
nights on board
Starting from*
£8,620
per person
25% Ponant Bonus

From the island of Okinawa to the eastern coastline of the Seto Inland Sea, fall under the spell of an idyllic and ancestral Japan. During a brand-new 13-day cruise aboard Le Jacques Cartier, PONANT invites you to discover an enchanted side of Japan, combining preserved nature and ancestral heritage, at the intersection of Western and Japanese traditions.

From Naha, Le Jacques Cartier will sail towards some of Japan’s best-preserved subtropical pearls. In the coral islands of Zamami and Kikaijima, enjoy the unspoiled beauty of these natural sanctuaries, renowned for their captivating marine biodiversity. You will then arrive at the mountainous island of Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Providing an unspoiled natural setting for endemic species such as the Yakushima monkey and deer, the island is home to an exceptional natural environment featuring forests of ancient cedars, bewitching waterfalls, and majestic peaks.

 

Your trip will continue in the Koshikijima Islands. Admire the raw and authentic beauty composed of monumental cliffs and huge rock formations dating back to the Cretaceous periodnearly 80 million years ago. You will be captivated by these landscapes unlike any other.

Between the Yatsushiro and Ariake seas, off the coast of Nagasaki, succumb to the charms of the island region of Amakusa, once the refuge of Christians fleeing the ban on Catholicism in the 17th century during the Edo period.  Further north, between South Korea and Fukuoka Prefecture, in the Tsushima Strait, a little-known island called Iki will reveal itself to you in a glorious setting of rock faces with verdant summits and heavenly beaches of fine sand. Considered one of the cradles of Shinto, the island boasts no fewer than 150 shrines scattered across these sacred and unspoiled lands.

Le Jacques Cartier will sail westward to the volcanic island of Jeju in South Korea. Dominated by the majestic silhouette of the Hallasan volcano, the country’s tallest peak, this nature sanctuary reveals its most beautiful treasures: steep cliffs with emerald and ashen reflections, monumental waterfalls, bewitching virgin forests, long stretches of tea plantations, and more. 

Next, set off to discover picturesque Shimonoseki, the westernmost town on the island of Honshu, opposite the Kanmon Straits. You are now entering the waters of the emblematic Seto Inland Sea. Here, discover preserved islands and picturesque towns, witnesses to the passage of the mid-18th-century Japanese merchants, who would travel the Kitamae maritime route every year. Shimokamagari and Mitarai are fishing villages imbued with a timeless atmosphere, while the ”shrine island” of Miyajima is classed as one of Japan’s three most scenic places thanks to its floating torii and Shinto temple. Onimichi will then reveal its many emblematic temples, including Senkō-ji, Saikoku-ji, and Jōdo-ji. You will then arrive in Tomonoura, known for its gentle way of life and its craggy landscapes, which inspired the artist Hayao Miyazaki for the animated film Ponyo.

You disembark in Kobe, a charming harbour city nestling between sea and mountains in the heart of the Japanese archipelago.


Ref : EX060326


Your itinerary

Your itinerary - Island Wonders & the Soul of Ancestral Japan

A cruise discovering an enchanted side of Japan, combining preserved nature and ancestral heritage, at the intersection of Western and Japanese traditions. UNESCO sites: “the hidden Christian sites in the...


View detailed itinerary

Your trip in detail

Contact Us

02 07 66 04 089
(or contact your travel agent)

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Choose your stateroom

Choose your stateroom

Deluxe Stateroom Deck 3
 

(204 ft²)

From £8,620 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Prestige Stateroom Deck 4
 

(204 ft²)

From £9,060 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Prestige Stateroom Deck 5
 

(204 ft²)

From £9,330 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Prestige Stateroom Deck 6
 

(204 ft²)

From £9,690 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Deluxe Suite Deck 6
 

(290 ft²)

From £12,990 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Deluxe Suite Deck 4
 

(290 ft²)

From £12,990 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Deluxe Suite Deck 5
 

(290 ft²)

From £12,990 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Deluxe Suite Deck 3
 

(290 ft²)

From £12,990 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Prestige Deck 5
 

(409 ft²)

From £13,970 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Prestige Suite Deck 6
 

(409 ft²)

From £14,410 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Privilege Suite Deck 5
 

(344 ft²)

From £14,770 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Privilege Suite Deck 6
 

(344 ft²)

From £14,770 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Grand Deluxe Suite Deck 6
 

(484 ft²)

From £15,220 per person
25% Ponant Bonus

Owner's Suite Deck 5
 

(484 ft²)

From £20,700 per person



Complete your trip

Complete your trip

Additional services
For more peace of mind, PONANT selects stays and flights then takes care of your transfers for your trip as well as shore visits before and after the cruise.


Additional services


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Contact Us

02 07 66 04 089
(or contact your travel agent)

Request a quote

*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.