Japan & Alaska 2023

    Early in the morning, we crossed Tsugaru Strait which separates the northern island of Hokkaidō and the largest Japanese island of Honshu as we journeyed south from Otaru into Mutsu Bay toward Aomori. Tomorrow, we go back across Tsugaru Strait to Hakodate. The captain announced that there will be strong 35 to 40 knot gale winds again this evening for the crossing. Tsugaru Strait connects the Japan Sea to the west with the Pacific Ocean to the east.    We watched to ship manoeuvre into its berth after passing through the breakwater. With the assistance of two tugboats to hold the ship steady as the 35 knot wind tried to blow it into the dock. Westerdam was docked by 8 a.m. It was sunny and 12° C as we walked on the Promenade Deck before breakfast in the dining room. The Shirakami Mountains were hard to see from the haze in the distance. They have a World Heritage Site designation because they have the world's largest virgin forest of beech trees.    ...

     The next three ports are close together, especially Aomori tomorrow and Hakodate on Saturday, which are across the Tsugaru Strait from each other.    Today, all passengers, whether getting off the ship or not, had to attend the Japanese Immigration and Customs process because the ship’s last port was Busan, South Korea. We are officially re-entering Japan from a foreign country. People had lined up before 6 a.m. on the first Sea Day, April 15, to obtain a card for a time slot for this inspection.   Rachel, the cruise director, announced this morning at 9:30 a.m. that the Customs officials were setting up in the theatre.      Before breakfast, we walked for 45 minutes on the Promenade Deck watching the ship’s approach into Otaru harbour. Temperature was 8° C, wind southeast 12 km per hour and cloudy. We saw the pilot boat drop off the harbour pilot, then it followed the ship to the pier. The ship docked at Katsunal Wharf.    Th...