Hankyu Travel International has announced plans to charter Ponant's expedition vessel, Le Jacques-Cartier, for three cruises around Japan scheduled between March and April 2027. This initiative marks the first occasion a Japanese travel agency has exclusively chartered a Ponant ship for international tourists.
The 12-night itineraries are set to depart from Kobe and Yokohama, navigating through western Japan and the Seto Inland Sea, an area renowned for its over 700 islands. Hankyu Travel has indicated that these voyages will offer passengers opportunities to experience Japan's natural landscapes, local cuisine, historical sites, traditional culture, and contemporary art.
The 'Timeless Voyage of Refinement' will commence in Kobe, with planned calls at Inujima, Miyajima, Mitarai, Hagi, Shimonoseki, Katsuura, Toba, Yaizu, Tagonoura, and Yokohama in Japan, as well as Busan in South Korea. Another itinerary, 'Journey to Hidden Gems in Japan,' also departing from Kobe, will include stops at Inujima, Miyajima, Tsushima, Yakushima, the Koshikijima islands, Mitarai, Hagi, Nagasaki, Iki, Amakusa, Kumamoto, and Busan. The third voyage, 'Essence of Japan: Modernity and Tradition,' departing on March 13 from Yokohama, is designed to coincide with the cherry blossom season and will visit Tagonoura, Yaizu, Toba, Katsuura, Hagi, Busan, Shimonoseki, Miyajima, Mitarai, Inujima, concluding in Kobe.
These cruises aboard the 184-guest Le Jacques-Cartier represent a significant collaboration between Hankyu Travel International and Ponant, aiming to provide international tourists with an immersive exploration of Japan's diverse cultural and natural offerings.