Ponant  has revealed its new Japanese luxury expedition programme for 2024 featuring acclaimed sailings in the Nippon archipelago as well as three new itineraries never offered before, for travellers to discover and rediscover the empire of the Rising Sun.

Commencing in March 2024 Ponant is expanding its programme of Japanese expeditions with the addition of sailings in Kyushu’s islands between Kagoshima and Fukuoka, and in the Seto Inland Sea from Kagoshima to Kobe. Ponant is the first operator to bring its modern fleet in some of Japan most remote locations, offering guests the unique chance to encounter another fascinating and never-seen-before part of the country.

The new itineraries add to Ponant’s existing routes across Japan’s subtropical islands, gently taking travellers away from the lively Kobe, Fukuoka and Onomichi, to the exotic and remote provinces of Iheyajima, Kerama or even Ishigaki. On select itineraries, guests will have the chance to embark on a wider Asian exploration stopping by some of South Korea’s most famous southern ports of Busan, Yeosu or Jeju, Keelung in Taiwan, or Ha Long in Vietnam.

The new 2024 programme is the result of a highly curated selection of the country best-kept secrets carefully curated by Ryo Ijichi, Ponant’s expedition leader and commercial manager for Japan and Korea who commented on the expansion of the existing Japan programme whilst staying true to Ponant’s ethos of unparalleled and meaningful expedition sailings.

“As an island state, Japan was originally more connected by sea than by land. Most of the cities, the gateways to these regions, there faced the ocean. Imagine what a great playground this is for an expedition ship discovery. When one considers Japan, one often thinks of the contemporary pace of Tokyo and the traditional aspects of Kyoto, but it is my hope from our itineraries that our guests will learn and experience an entirely different way or being in this unexpectedly rich country,” Ijichi said.

Kagoshima Volcano. (Supplied – Sakurajima)

Some of Ponant’s standout itineraries include:

Japan, natural archipelago, and secular heritage

A new itinerary for the 2024 season, Ponant invites guests to discover one of Japan’s unique heritages between Kagoshima and Kobe through a 9-day trip. Sailing through the Seto Inland Sea and its picturesque villages, Le Jacques-Cartier will son set course to the fascinating Koshikijima Islands and its monumental cliffs, before heading for the island region of Amakusa, once the refuge of Christians fleeing the ban on Catholicism in the Edo period and visiting Sakitsu’s UNESCO-listed church. After a stop in South Korea’s second largest city, Busan, travellers will return to Japan and discover Moji on the northern tip of Kyushu, a preserved architectural jewel evoking the traditional Japan of the Meiji era. After a trip to Onomichi, home to numerous temples and emblematic shrines, guests will visit Tomonoura and its craggy landscape before reaching Kobe.

• Kagoshina to Kobe – 9 days, 8 nights
• 4 May 2024 to 12 May 2024
• AUD 10,270 per person*
• Save up to 25% when you book early – conditions apply.

Japanese Subtropical Islands – Okinawa to Keelung

As the first cruise company to take travellers to the heart of the sublime landscapes of the tropical islands in southern Japan, Ponant’s guests can expect to discover the rich natural heritage, traditional villages and craft of the Okinawa and Tateyama Islands in the Ryukyu archipelago. From Naha Island, Le Jacques-Cartier will set sail for Iheya Island where the traditional “Eisa” show takes place before heading to Zamami in the Kerama Islands and its unspoiled beauty from where “Kerama blue” is known. Guests will then head for Kumejima, a truly multifaceted island with mythical rock formation and idyllic beaches. The sail will conclude in Keelung (Taipei’s port) but not before visiting the highlights of Japan’s southern islands, including Ishigaki, Taketomijima, and UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Iriomotejima island’s southern coast.

• Naha, Okinawa to Keelung (Chilung) – 8 days, 7 nights
• 16 March 2024 to 23 March 2024
• AUD 8,030 per person*
• Save up to 30% when you book early – conditions apply.

Japanese Subtropical Islands – Fukuoka to Keelung

From Fukuoka to Taiwan, this 8-day expedition cruise will take travellers through the mountainous island of Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage listed site with unspoiled nature and endemic species such as Yakushima monkey and deer, before making their way to Zamami, and Taketomijima. On a southward journey, Le Jacques-Cartier will sail to Ishigaki, the capital island of the Yaeyama Islands, which hosts the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, with idyllic scenery, crystal-clear turquoise water and beaches of white sand. Following a stop in the island of Iriomotejima, another UNESCO World Heritage Site for its authentic and preserved character in luxurious tropical forest and mangrove, travellers will reach Yonagunijima, then Keelung – the port of Taiwanese capital Taipei.

• Fukuoka to Keelung (Chilung) – 8 days, 7 nights
• 6 April 2024 to 13 April 2024
• AUD 8,420 per person*
• Save up to 30% when you book early – conditions apply. Find more about this sailing.

Miyajima Statue. Ponant Philip Plisson. (Supplied)