Yokohama (Tokyo) to Seward (Anchorage, Alaska)

Flying as far under the radar as Japan’s second-biggest city possibly can, only a 30-minute train ride separates Yokohama from Tokyo’s metropolis. Sat a little further to the south of the Bay of Tokyo than the Japanese capital, Yokohama is a place to enjoy waterfront strolls and the warmest of welcomes, as you arrive and acclimatise to this city in the bustling heart of Japan. View less Step into this ocean of urbanity, where major cities merge and blend together, and it’s hard to square Yokohama’s fishing village origins with the vast urban sprawl that you encounter today. An outward-looking place, Yokohama was one of the first to open its harbour to international trade, leading to a rapid transformation from village to big city. The opening of the ports drew many Chinese traders to the bay, and Yokohama houses the country’s biggest Chinatown – a colourful and historic explosion of Chinese shops and more than 250 eateries. Landmark Tower is hard to miss, puncturing the sky as Japan’s second-largest building, it looks out over the water and rises before the distant loom of Mount Fuji. The towering ferris wheel nearby is one of the world’s tallest, and flashes with colour amid the glowing skyline at night. Enjoy breezy strolls along the lively waterfront, with heritage ships, museums and tempting restaurants bordering the sparking bay’s waters. Offering the excitement that only landing on Japanese shores can offer, Yokohama is a great starting point for any adventure to this land of culture, colour and grace. Whether you want to venture onwards to Tokyo’s neon-bathed wonders, see Mount Fuji up close, or find peace and tranquillity in Kyoto’s majestic temples and shrines, Yokohama opens up the best of Japan’s wonders to you.

Miyako is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2020, the city had an estimated population of 51,150, and a population density of 41 persons per km². The total area of the city is 1,259.15 square kilometers.

From fiery festivals to spectacular mountain scenery, soaring temples to castles surrounded by cherry blossom blooms, Aomori is one of Japan’s most enchanting destinations. Framed by dark peaks clad with dense forestry, the city enjoys a picturesque location on Japan’s main island Honshu. While there are gorgeous pink tinted parks, tiered castles and towering Buddha statues to explore, the Aomori Prefecture’s capital is perhaps best known for the summer festival of fire that lights it up each year. Lavish illuminated floats fill the streets during Nebuta Matsuri festival, as dancing locals wave flickering lanterns through the night sky – and drummers pound out pulsating rhythms. Nebuta Matsuri has a euphoric and energetic atmosphere which makes it stand out as an unmissable experience compared with some of Japan’s more restrained festivals. At other times of the year, places like the stunning Hirosaki Castle bloom with rose-pink cherry blossom, as spring’s sunshine clears away winter’s plentiful snowfall. The castle’s moat, glowing with the pale hue of fallen blossom, is a truly mesmerising sight to behold. Don’t worry if you’re too late though, you might be able to catch the pink-flush of the apple blossom – which comes slightly later. Extraordinary prehistoric Jomon period history is waiting to be unearthed at the living archaeological site, Sannai-Maruyama Ruins. Or, the untouched wilderness of UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakami Sanchi is within reach. This sprawling mass of beech trees covers a third of the Shirakami mountain range, and the dense forestry once blanketed the majority of northern Japan’s land. Visit to scratch the surface of this untamed landscape’s beauty and see sprawling waterfalls cascading down mountainsides, in a beautiful off-bounds landscape, where black bears roam freely.

Gaze down over Hakodate, from the heights of its namesake peak – Mount Hakodate – to see the city stretching out spectacularly, with back-to-back twin bays splitting the ocean. Hakodate port was one of the first to open Japan up to the world, and to international trade in 1859 – a fact reflected in the architecture, with its influences from the West and beyond. The port area is a redbrick wash of warehouses turned shopping malls, all observed by the onion domes of the city’s Russian Orthodox church.

Surrounded by spectacular national parks – and sheltered from the majority of winter’s ice, Kushiro is one of northern Japan’s most important cities. A deep-sea fishing port that specialises in Pacific saury, Kushiro hugs the coastline of the most northerly of Japan’s major islands. See the riches plundered from the ocean at the busy Washo Fish Market, dive into the native Ainu culture, or head out to explore the immersive beauty of Japan’s largest wetlands. View less Kushiro City Museum is an imposing, castle-like structure, but there’s a warm welcome waiting inside, where exhibitions showcase the area’s history, and the extraordinary animals that you can meet on your adventures here. Explore Japan’s wilder side at the vast wildlife oasis that is Kushiro Marshland. A world away from the country’s urban metropolises, look out for the tanchō-zuru red-crowned cranes, which are some of the world’s rarest, and a revered symbol of luck and longevity. Spot pairs of the elegant birds, as they dance together on the plains of the wetlands. Head out to Lake Akan – in Akan National park – to see another side to the area’s landscapes and encounter the bizarre marimo moss. Growing here only, it forms large, perfectly manicured bowling balls. Hot mud pools also burble, while the cone of the volcanic Mount Oakan watches over the area, echoing Mount Fuji’s symmetrical splendour. Ainu Kotan is close by, and you can visit to experience the authentic culture of northern Japan’s native people.

The domain of grizzlies, brown and black bears, Kodiak Island is a raw, wild, and utterly authentic Alaskan wilderness. The Emerald Isle is the USA’s second-largest island, and with a wilderness stretching out over 3,670 square miles, it’s a thrilling voyage into the Alaskan unknown. The weather may get a little cloudy at times, but the locals actively welcome a covering of cloud – perhaps partly because the clouds and fog are said to have deterred Japanese attacks during World War II’s hostilities. View less Be sure to bring your camera with you; it’s nigh on impossible to take a bad photo of these irresistible vistas – and you’ll quickly see why Kodiak Island is the destination of choice for wildlife documentary producers. Cinematic setpieces regularly play out, as eagles soar over expansive sweeps of fir-tree forested mountains and still lakes, releasing occasional piercing calls. Some of the animal kingdom’s most feared and revered creatures call Kodiak Island home, and your first sight of a bear reaching a massive paw into the water, or treading through a gently burbling stream, will live with you forever. Soar in a seaplane to track the bears with an expert guide. Masters of disguise, it often takes a trained eye to spot the bears in their natural habitats. Brush up on the skills you’ll need in advance, with a read of our bear watching blog. [Insert blog: 7 tips for bear watching in Alaska]. The waters of Kodiak Island are also home to some of the world’s most productive fishing. Try out your own skills, or accompany a seafaring fishing vessel, to witness life on the waves first-hand, as they plunder the depths of the ocean.

Monumental scenery surrounds you in this remote corner of the world, where glaciers calve and whales cruise through inky waters, before an immense mountain backdrop. Almost totally submerged by the colossal landscapes around it, Seward – and the wonders of Kenai Fjords National Park – offer some of astonishing Alaska’s most thrilling scenery. Located in a deep gash in the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is a place to immerse yourself in nature’s majesty. View less Fjords carve into the landscape, while the Harding Icefield – which caps Kenai Fjords National Park – reaches out its icy fingers, with glaciers spilling down between mountain peaks. Head to Holgate Glacier, to come face to face with a breathtaking stack of intense blue and white ice. Get up close in a kayak or boat ride, to slalom through the discarded confetti of ice chunks, and perhaps even witness the powerful spectacle of an ice ledge creaking and groaning, before plunging to the waters below. The city of Anchorage is easily within reach from here, offering an incongruous contrast to the wild wonders of Alaska. A place where deep-sea fishermen bump shoulders with businesspeople on the 9-5, it’s a fascinating, remote city. Home to almost half of the Alaskan population, Anchorage and its humble skyline is dwarfed by the snowy peaks of the wilderness beyond. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique culture, traditions and heritage of the First Nation people of these lands too.