Japan aims to strengthen its position in the international cruise market by attracting more ships to regional ports and showcasing the country’s diverse culture, heritage and natural attractions through new shore experiences.
The Japanese government has set ambitious targets for 2030, aiming to attract 2.5 million international cruise guests annually, increase calls by international cruise ships to 3,000 across 150 ports, and grow the domestic cruise market to one million passengers. This compares with 1.77 million international cruise travellers, 2,353 international ship calls across 94 ports, and 243,000 domestic passengers in 2025.
The importance of spreading cruise tourism beyond Japan’s established destinations was a key theme at the Japan Cruise Seminar 2026, held at the Embassy of Japan in London, UK, on 6 November.
Speaking at the event, Jun Nakazawa, a counsellor at the embassy, highlighted the “immense potential” of regional ports to showcase the country’s culture, history and landscapes to international visitors. He also suggested collaboration between tourism businesses, transport and accommodation providers, and local communities would be “essential” to ensure cruise growth benefits both residents and visitors.
The seminar brought together cruise executives and representatives from six Japanese ports – Aomori, Kanazawa, Sakaiminato, Hiroshima, Kitakyushu and Kobe – who presented their facilities, shore excursions and distinctive visitor experiences.
Introducing the ports, Yasuyuki Suda, director for cruise promotion at the Port of Kobe, encouraged cruise lines to look beyond Japan’s established destinations, saying visiting the six ports would allow guests to discover their “respective charms” and gain a “deep grasp of Japan as a whole”.
Aomori: nature’s hidden gem
Surrounded by mountains and forests at the northern tip of Japan’s main island, Aomori offers cruise guests the chance to explore culinary traditions, culture and nature.
Oirase Gorge in Towada-Hachimantai National Park is a popular attraction with cruise guests calling at Aomori (Photo: Aomori Prefecture)
Aomori port is located within the sheltered waters of Mutsu Bay and has two cruise berths – large ships call at Okidate Wharf, which is approximately 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre, while smaller vessels dock at Shin-Chuo Wharf, which is a 10-minute walk from waterfront attractions, museums, markets and cultural experiences. The cruise terminal at Shin-Chuo Wharf offers various facilities, including outdoor parking for up to 100 coaches and 20 taxis for shore excursions.
Guests can reach many of the prefecture’s best-known natural and cultural attractions within a 90-minute drive of the port, including Hakkoda mountain ropeway, Oirase Gorge, the ancient beech forests of the Unesco-listed Shirakami-Sanchi and the historic castle town of Hirosaki. Other popular excursions include seeing colourful festival floats at the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse or Tsugaru-han Neputa Village, discovering the region’s renowned apple-growing industry through orchard visits and cider tastings, trying local food at Furukawa Market, and dining on traditional foods at the historic Seibien house and garden.
The Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse gives cruise guests an insight into Aomori’s Nebuta Festival, where performers carry large illuminated floats (Photo: Unsplash/Fumiaki Hayashi)
“Aomori offers your guests the pleasure of discovery: nature to explore, traditions to understand and local people to meet,” said Kazumi Fukuhara, senior administrative officer of the harbour and airport division at Aomori Prefectural Government. “These encounters begin close to port. We look forward to welcoming your ships and guests to Aomori.”
Kanazawa: explore traditional arts and crafts
Kanazawa, situated on the Sea of Japan in Ishikawa Prefecture, offers cruise guests three key reasons to visit: its samurai heritage, traditional arts and crafts, and distinctive cuisine.
To explore Kanazawa’s history, cruise tourists can visit the Nagamachi Samurai District, Kanazawa Castle Park, Higashi Chaya geisha district, Kenrokuen Garden and the town of Ono. Those wanting to sample local food can head to Omicho Market or experience Kaga cuisine, traditionally served in dining rooms with tableware crafted by local artisans. Kanazawa also offers opportunities to discover Ishikawa Prefecture’s 36 designated traditional crafts, including gold leaf production, lacquerware, ceramics, textiles, metalwork and woodwork, through workshop visits and hands-on classes.
Cruise guests can walk through Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya geisha district and see the traditional teahouses (Photo: Unsplash/Shoham Avisrur)
Beyond the city, popular day trips include the Unesco World Heritage-listed village of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, Tojinbo Cliffs in Fukui Prefecture, the Noto Peninsula and the Kaga hot spring resorts.
“These experiences make Kanazawa not just a port of call, but a destination guests will remember long after their voyage,” said Lucy Tabada, port sales representative for cruise at Kanazawa Port.
The port has three cruise berths: Ohama, Muryoji and Tomizu, which can accommodate ships of up to 170,000gt, 120,000gt or 80,000gt respectively. The dedicated cruise terminal at Muryoji Wharf opened in 2020 and supports first-port, last-port and turnaround operations. Its berth will be extended from 320 metres to 500 metres by 2027. Cruise calls have grown significantly since the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, which improved access to the city. Luxury vessels now account for 66 per cent of cruise calls, highlighting Kanazawa’s appeal to the premium cruise market.
Sakaiminato: explore spiritual heritage and spectacular gardens
Located in Tottori Prefecture, Sakaiminato offers various spiritual, historical and nature-based excursions for cruise guests. Among the most popular is a trip to Izumo Taisha, one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, and Inasa Beach, which is traditionally associated with the welcoming of the gods.
Other attractions within easy reach of the port include the Adachi Museum of Art; Mount Daisen; Mizuki Shigeru Road, which gives an insight into Japan’s yokai folklore; Tottori Hanakairo, one of Japan’s largest flower parks; and Matsue Castle, where cruise guests can take guided boat trips around its moat to view historic samurai residences. To further immerse themselves in the culture, cruise guests can participate in matcha tasting, tea ceremonies, kimono experiences and wagashi sweet-making workshops.
The growing appeal of these experiences is reflected in the port's increasing cruise activity – it expects 60 calls in 2026 and 70 in 2027 at the Takenouchi-Minami berth, which opened in April 2020.
The gardens at the Adachi Museum of Art have been ranked as the number one gardens in Japan for 23 years (Photo: Unsplash/Yosuke Ota)
Hiroshima: a city of history, peace and renewal
Known worldwide as the site of the first atomic bombing, Hiroshima has rebuilt itself into a vibrant city that stands as a symbol of peace, resilience and renewal. Cruise calls continue to increase year on year, with international vessels now accounting for the vast majority of traffic.
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima serves as a poignant reminder of Hiroshima’s past and a reminder of its hope for peace (Photo: Unsplash/Caitlin James)
In 2025, the port handled a record 106 cruise calls – 102 of which were made by foreign-flagged ships – and is on track to exceed that total with 111 scheduled visits in 2026. Most ships dock at Ujina Foreign Trade Wharf, which was upgraded with a new cruise terminal in 2024, while vessels larger than 120,000gt berth at Itsukaichi Wharf. The port is also making ongoing efforts to improve the guest experience through multilingual wayfinding and visitor information services.
“You won’t have to worry about crowds, and major attractions are easily accessible,” said Megumi Tanemoto, port sales group leader in the Port and Harbor Promotion Division of Hiroshima Prefectural Government.
The most notable tourist attractions include two Unesco World Heritage sites: the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine with its famous ‘floating’ torii gate, which were built around 1,400 years ago on the sacred island of Miyajima.
Visitors can walk under the torri gate at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island at low tide (Photo: Unsplash/Alessandro Stech)
In addition, the port is collaborating with local tourism partners to build a growing portfolio of customisable shore excursions throughout Hiroshima Prefecture. The number of available experiences has more than doubled from 50 in 2025 to 118 in 2026, with new offerings including food-themed tours and opportunities to meet with locals in Kure City’s Osaki-Shimojima and Kubi districts.
Kitakyushu: explore history and culture
Situated in Fukuoka Prefecture on the northern tip of Kyushu, Kitakyushu has several cruise facilities, although international vessels of up to 50,000gt primarily call at Moji Port. The facility is being upgraded to accommodate vessels of up to 420 metres in length.
Notable attractions near the port include the Mojiko Retro district; Mekari Shrine, overlooking the Kanmon Strait; the Toto Museum, which showcases the history of Japan’s biggest sanitaryware manufacturer; and Kokura Castle and Kokura Garden, where visitors can participate in tea ceremonies and traditional weaving workshops. Moji is also a five-minute ferry ride from Shimonoseki on the island of Honshu, giving cruise guests the opportunity to explore destinations in both Kyushu and Honshu during a single port call.
Visitors to Kitakyushu's Moji Port can take a ferry across the Kanmon Strait to visit Shimonoseki on the island of Honshu (Photo: Adobe Stock/Sanga)
Cruise guests keen to explore nature can visit Hiraodai Plateau, Senbutsu Limestone Cave or Kawachi Wisteria Garden, while those looking to experience local food and culture can head to Sakaemachi Gintengai shopping street, Tanga Market or Uomachi Gintengai in Kokura.
Kobe: the gateway to the Seto Inland Sea
Kobe is an ideal starting point for exploring both the Seto Inland Sea and Japan’s Kansai region. It has convenient air, train, ferry and road links to major destinations including Osaka, Awaji Island, the Unesco-listed Himeji Castle, Nara and Kyoto, all of which can be reached in less than 90 minutes. The port’s two cruise terminals are located close to the city centre, providing easy access to shopping districts, cultural attractions and Kobe’s world-renowned culinary scene, where visitors can sample its famous Kobe beef, local sake and other regional specialities.
Kobe offers easy access to attractions such as Himeji Castle, a Unesco World Heritage Site (Photo: Unsplash/Vladimir Haltakov)
Naka Pier Cruise Terminal accommodates ships of up to 77,000gt, while larger vessels call at Kobe Port Terminal, one of the largest cruise facilities in western Japan. In 2025, the port welcomed 180,000 cruise passengers and 143 ship calls, including 71 turnarounds, 25 of which were departures for the Seto Inland Sea. With cruise traffic peaking in spring and autumn, the port is also encouraging operators to consider calls during the quieter summer and winter months.
“The number of cruise ships calling peaks in March, April and October,” said Erika Kibayashi, assistant director of cruise promotion for the Port and Harbour Bureau at Kobe City Government. “Summer and winter, when there are fewer cruise ships, are the best times to book.”
From April 2027, the port will also offer both ship-to-ship and truck-to-ship LNG bunkering services via a new facility it is developing in partnership with MOL Techno-Trade.
“We continue our efforts to make the port environmentally friendly and a welcoming place for all those involved in cruise operations,” said Kibayashi.
Read more about Japan’s cruise ports and destinations in our exclusive four-part series showcasing the varied itinerary options for luxury cruise lines. Part one discovers the attractions of Aomori and Hakodate in North Japan, part two explores the shore excursion opportunities on the Sea of Japan Coast, part three showcases the highlights along the Pacific Coast and part four outlines the best attractions in Fukui Prefecture.