Travel Notes of Kagoshima, Tokyo, and Shimizu

🏅The shore excursions in a cruise trip are divided into free tours and group tours. For this trip, I chose to join group tours throughout. Besides the fixed itinerary, the guide also gives guests enough time for free activities. Every night on the ship, we receive the group number for the next day's tour and the Blue Dream Daily, which includes important information such as the next day's itinerary, attraction introductions, gathering times, and the latest boarding time. 🚦Day 3 Kagoshima Kyushu Miracle 🕹️The first stop on the landing day is in the southernmost part of Kyushu Island. Kagoshima is not large, and on non-scorching days, I think a city walk is one of the best ways to get to know this small island. The Shiroyama Observatory in Shiroyama Park, which connects to Kagoshima City and faces Kinko Bay and Sakurajima, is the best place to overlook Kagoshima City. The large SEIKO clock standing on the observatory is particularly special here, as if reminding passersby to put down their 'time' and quietly feel the wind of Kagoshima and the scenery in front of them. 🔭Strolling along the Tenmonkan Shopping Street, you can see souvenir shops, bakeries, cafes, etc. everywhere. As one of the most popular attractions in the bustling downtown area of southern Kyushu, it seems that the shops here have been 'carefully selected' by guests from all over the world. Each shop attracts people with its unique facade design and window displays. 🍜Randomly walking into a small alley in the shopping street, an inconspicuous small sign points to a ramen shop on the second floor. The shop is not large and offers several fixed ramen sets. Besides the chewy ramen noodles, the tonkotsu broth is also a major feature. The pork bone fat, which is rarely seen directly in the broth, forms a wonderful combination with the green onions as it enters the mouth, leaving an impressive first meal after disembarking! 🚦Day 5 Tokyo Urban Walking Day 🗽After a whole day at sea on Day 4, we arrived at Japan's most bustling city—Tokyo. Starting the day from Tokyo's oldest temple, Sensoji Temple, draw a fortune slip at the temple, take the 'good luck' home, and leave the 'bad luck' on the temple's tree branches to turn bad luck into good. Strolling through the bustling Nakamise Shopping Street, you can find various souvenir shops, a moment exclusive to the city's crowd. 🗼The market near the Blue Dream Song's docking port in Tokyo was also our last destination in Tokyo. Traditional Japanese foods such as sushi, tempura, eel rice, and ramen can all be found here. The combination of plump fish roe and sea urchin is very satisfying with each bite. 🚦Day 6 Shimizu Hometown of Chibi Maruko-chan 🏔️Many people are not familiar with Shimizu, but it is the 'hometown of Chibi Maruko-chan.' Many scenes from Chibi Maruko-chan's stories with her family and friends can be found here. As one of Shimizu's tourism icons, she appears in every unexpected corner here, from keychains sold on the street to graffiti on manhole covers and looping animations on large screens. 🏯At the Nihondaira Dream Terrace, you can take in the beautiful view of Mount Fuji. Although Mount Fuji does not have a snow cap this season, the mist surrounding the mountain still adds a touch of mystery to its beauty. The building of the Nihondaira Dream Terrace itself is also designed by the internationally renowned architect Kengo Kuma. The use of traditional joinery techniques is fully utilized here, and the octagonal building blends into the natural scenery, echoing with Mount Fuji in the distance. ⛲️The 'Miho no Matsubara,' listed as a World Cultural Heritage site, is the perfect place to frame the sea and Mount Fuji together. The 5km-long coastline is lined with 30,000 pine trees, a rare sight. The legend of the celestial robe also spread here. ⛩️The Miho Shrine houses fragments of the celestial robe left by the celestial maiden in the legend, recorded in books from the Heian period. It is said to bring good luck in matchmaking. The 'Path of the Gods' starts from Miho Shrine to Miho no Matsubara, a wooden walkway about 500m long, flanked by pine trees over 200 years old.