I first went to Japan in 2001 to deal with a 37m yacht being bought from a Japanese owner. We organized a freighter to ship it to the United States, but we would have more than two months before it left Kobe.“How often are you going to have a yacht in Japan?” I said. “Let’s go cruising.”I joined the yacht in Japan; however yachts generally approach from two directions. From the north, the first port of call is Hakkodate on the northern island of Honshu or an extra day and a half down to Yokohama and Tokyo.From the south, the first port of call can be many, however most yachts prefer Osaka for easy access and provisioning.The most established cruising routes are between Tokyo and Okinawa in the southern islands, including the Inland Sea (Seto Nai Kai), a completely protected waterway, 250nm long with hundreds of islands in it.We spent the first few days in Yokohama and the owner took a night helicopter tour of this city of 3.7 million people. We docked at Yokohama Bayside Marina, which has up to 5 meters depth, is well protected and can take 65m yachts. Next, we cruised to Pukarin Sanbashi outside of the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Yokohama. This is a spectacular place and can accommodate yachts up to 150m.Japan’s cities are amazing. So many people and virtually no crime; it makes for a comfortable environment. Guests took a trip to Nikko National Park in the mountains to see a cluster of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines that date back centuries.With our Japanese crew we headed toward the Inland Sea. My first mate, Matsuda-san (and nicknamed Matchan) spoke some English and he was my lifeline to get things organized. Most people in Japan say “hello”, “how are you”, “welcome”, “nice to meet you” in very good English; but venture into conversation and they nod, smile and say “yes” in acknowledgment of what you say, even though they do not understand a thing.They are far too polite to stop an English speaker in full babble mode. Though the politeness at first is overwhelming, when you actually slide yourself into this culture you realize that it is one of the most civil societies on the planet.Next on to the western side of the Izu Peninsular where Mount Fuji comes into view, dominating the horizon even before the coastline of mainland Honshu is seen. You can see Fuji from the eastern side, too; it is 12,388 feet tall. We anchored in Uchira Bay and the owner invited all crew to dinner on the back deck as the sun went down by Mount Fuji.Next, we cruised to Hakone to see old Samurai houses in the foothills of Mount Fuji. It is important to pay respects to Fujisan, as Fuji is known, by going to the tree line, at 7,500 feet, and observing the Shinto shrine dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the daughter of the God of the Mountain.Next we cruised to Wakayama at the entrance to the Inland Sea. Wakayama has great onsen, volcanic hot springs. They are a little disconcerting for westerners, as Japanese go in naked. We docked at Marina City, which can take yachts of 60m.Next we cruised into the Seto Nai Kai to Kobe where we docked at Shin Nishinomiya Marina. This marina holds about 600 yachts with a large visitor pier and an average depth of 5m for yachts of 65m. First Mate Matchan had arranged for tours of Kyoto for tea ceremonies, geisha and traditional theater. And then it was on to Nara, a stunning mountainous countryside for a stay in a luxury ryokan, a traditional Japanese house.We ventured into Kobe and had dinner out every night. Luckily, the whole crew was Japanese and they knew the best places to go. The best restaurants were izakaya, which is almost like tapas, small dishes from a variety of Japanese foods. The prices were fabulous, too. Four of us could eat and drink for hours for the equivalent of $30 or $40 each. You’d pay thousands for this in New York, London or Paris.Then we carried on cruising in the inland sea. Ships were everywhere, like rush hour in the Straits of Gibraltar. We cruised under the longest suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and on to the Island of Shoda-shima. All of the islands in Japan are mountainous and Shoda-shima looms ahead from 30 miles away. The Inland Sea has a climate that is warmer than the Mediterranean with olive groves along the hillsides. We went to the large natural harbor on the south side of the island and docked at the cleanest commercial dock I have ever seen. This is a local island and in the village nearby, the owners visited a local restaurant that was almost unchanged for hundreds of years, enjoying real Japanese food with real local Japanese people. Fantastic.Next, we cruised to the northern side of the island of Shikoku to Takamatsu, a fairly large city with a shrine to seafarers. You have to climb more stone steps than you can shake a stick at, however, you can hire a porter to carry you on his back. Porters must hate overweight tourists. After you are at the top you can pray (if you have any breath left), clap your hands a few times and pay the local priest for a hand written wooden charm to protect your vessel from the dangers of the ocean. “So this will protect us out there on the ocean, will it?” I asked the priest.“Yes, definitely,” he said.“So if something does happen to us, I get my money back?” I joked, to which he roared with laughter and said, “If something happens to you, it would have been a lot worse if you hadn’t had my charm onboard.” You cannot argue with that.Then we cruised to Hiroshima for obon, when the Japanese welcome back the spirits of their ancestors and have all sorts of celebrations (and most get hilariously drunk).

First we visited Hiroshima City and the Atom Bomb Dome in Peace Park. This was about the only thing left standing when the bomb was dropped and is probably the simplest and most evocative monuments to a moment in time that changed the course of human history. A humbling, once-in-a-lifetime, must-do experience.Across the water is Miya Jima, an island with a famous shrine over the water and massive torii gate. They have one of the world’s largest firework displays and we anchored with hundreds of boats and joined the locals eating and drinking sake.Then we weighed anchor and cruised to Kure to a small marina with one long pier. The owners discovered a small restaurant district, so they had to go back for the next two nights, much to the delight of our chef, who got three nights off.From Kure we cruised through the Kanmon Kaikyo straights, a busy shipping lane with ripping currents, then out of the Seto Nai Kai to the marina at Marinoa. We saw stunning islands on the western side of Kyshu called Goto Retto and discovered marvelous anchorages. There is great snorkeling and diving; the water is warm with coral reefs, not unlike Florida.I meant to stop in Nagasaki and explore, but time was running out. After looking at the charts, we could have spent months exploring the Inland Sea. The cruising potential is incredible.On the way back to Kobe, we waited at Creation Marine’s (our agents) marina in Osaka. It was an old wooden floating dock, but they threw us a party and opened the tiki bar. They are renovating the marina to be a superyacht facility. I have suggested to the owner to make enough electricity available for several megayachts up to 45m.It is important to retain the services of an agent who understands yachts. The shipping industry is huge in Japan, but shipping agents will treat yachts the same as a 300m cargo ship, so employ someone who has experience in the professional yachting world.Paperwork to enter Japan can be complicated. Work with an agent months before you arrive for pre-approval. The government is strict that all vessels follow correct procedures.Yachts must clear out of one area and into another. This can usually be done with a phone call and a fax of ship’s paperwork, so keep in daily contact with your agent.

While in Japan we used pre-paid mobile phones for our communications. Mobile phones will work here if they have 3G (WCDMA/UMTS 2100) capability and your provider allows international roaming. GSM does not work here. Pre-paid phones/SIM packages are the next choice, as SIM cards alone are not available in Japan.VSAT Internet is available through MTN. Air cards that work at broadband speeds and through mobile networks are available through yacht agents and can be rented for unlimited use for the equivalent of about $100 a month.Bunkering can be arranged through an agent with the best prices in Yokohama/Tokyo and Osaka. Fuel is tax-free for foreign-registered yachts.Japan has a modern marina infrastructure that can cater to vessels up to 150m. It does not, however, have electrical installations for the large yachts, so 99 to100 percent of the time yachts will be on generator. Water is often free. There are thousands of anchorages all over Japan throughout the thousands of islands. One captain described it as “Croatia on acid.”A huge shipping industry in Japan means that navigation is definitely exciting. Although it is protected from the Pacific Ocean, tidal flows can rip through the islands of the Inland Sea with amazing ferocity and form vortexes, so caution is necessary. These areas are well charted and navigation aids, including lighted signs, usually show current speed, direction, increasing/decreasing, etc. Navigational aids are outstanding and always working. English-speaking guides and experienced pilots are available. Charts are available through a local navigational supplier; we used Cornes & Co. in Yokohama and Kobe.Buy the Japanese Coastguard charts. They are identical to British Admiralty, which reproduces these for their charts of this area. Japanese charts have both English and Japanese on them.Before we shipped the yacht back to the United States, a typhoon hit Japan. Creation Marine had us in a flooded dry dock, roped off in all directions, about four miles up a river in Osaka. We hardly knew that a typhoon was on us.Since that first time in Japan, I have been back 15 times, usually spend my summers here working and cruising on Japanese-owned yachts, and now have a Japanese wife. The country is still mesmerizing to me, even now that I speak a certain amount of Japanese and know the place well. It is, without doubt, one of the greatest cruising experiences I have ever had.Reprinted with permission from the Great Southern Route Superyacht Cruising Guide (www.greatsouthernroute.com). Capt.