The museum ship Nippon Maru
1 June 2018 | Author/Destination: Yachting and Spa | Rubric: Tall ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time: 5 minutes Nippon Maru is a Japanese museum ship and former training vessel. She is permanently docked in Yokohama harbor, in Nippon Maru Memorial Park. She was built by Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe, and was launched on 27 January 1930 alongside her sister ship Kaiwo Maru. read more…Kyushu Island in Japan
16 October 2017 | Author/Destination: Asia / Asien | Rubric: General Reading Time: 38 minutes Kyushu or Kiushu is the third biggest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternative ancient names include Kyūkoku, Chinzei, and Tsukushi-no-shima. The historical regional name Saikaidō referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. As of 2016, Kyushu has a population of 13 million and covers 36,782 square kilometres (14,202 sq mi). The island is mountainous, and Japan’s most active volcano, Mount Aso at 1,591 metres (5,220 ft), is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso, in central Kyushu. The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. Today’s Kyushu Region is a politically defined region that consists of the seven prefectures on the island of Kyushu (which also includes the former Tsushima and Iki as part of Nagasaki), plus Okinawa Prefecture to the south. The region, without the Okinawa Prefecture, includes 2159 islands with a total area of 5450 km². read more…Kyoto in Japan
11 August 2017 | Author/Destination: Asia / Asien | Rubric: General, Environment, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 13 minutes Kyoto is a city located in the central part of the island of Honshu in Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the Imperial capital of Japan for more than one thousand years, it is now the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture located in the Kansai region, as well as a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area. Kyoto is also known as the thousand-year capital. In 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the protocol on greenhouse gas emissions that bears the city’s name. Home to 37 institutions of higher education, Kyoto is one of the academic centers in Japan. Kyoto University is considered to be one of the top national universities nationwide. The original city was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang’an (present-day Xi’an). The Imperial Palace faced south, resulting in Ukyō (the right sector of the capital) being on the west while Sakyō (the left sector) is on the east. The streets in the modern-day wards of Nakagyō, Shimogyō, and Kamigyō-ku still follow a grid pattern. Today, the main business district is located to the south of the old Imperial Palace, with the less-populated northern area retaining a far greener feel. Surrounding areas do not follow the same grid pattern as the center of the city, though streets throughout Kyoto share the distinction of having names. read more…The AIDAprima
1 August 2016 | Author/Destination: Yachting and Spa | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time: 6 minutes AIDAprima is the flagship of AIDA Cruises, built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding at their shipyard in Nagasaki in Japan. The cruise ship entered service on April 25, 2016. The ship was christened on 7 May 2016 in Hamburg in Germany as part of the 827th Hamburg Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag). Like the other AIDA ships she sails under the Italian flag. For the cruise operations Costa Crociere in Genoa is responsible. The ship, which is specially designed for the German market corporate brand AIDA Cruises, start year-round from the Hamburg Cruise Terminal Steinwerder to weeklong cruises in Western Europe. read more…The sail training ship Kaiwo Maru II
1 January 2016 | Author/Destination: Yachting and Spa | Rubric: Tall ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time: 5 minutes Kaiwo Maru II is a Japanese four-masted training barque tall ship. She was built in 1989 to replace a 1930 ship of the same name. She is 110.09 m (361.2 ft) overall, with a beam of 13.80 m (45.3 ft) and a depth of 10.70 m (35.1 ft). She is assessed as 2,556 GT. Propulsion is by two 4-cylinder diesel engines and a total of 2,760 m2 (29,700 sq ft) of sails. The engines have a total power of 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) and can propel the ship at a maximum of 14.1 kn (26.1 km/h; 16.2 mph), with a normal service maximum of 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph). Kaiwo Maru has a range of 9,800 nmi (18,100 km; 11,300 mi). The four masts are the fore mast, main mast, mizzen mast and jigger mast. The main mast is 43.50 m (142.7 ft). Her complement is 199. read more…The historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama in Japan
4 July 2015 | Author/Destination: Asia / Asien | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 7 minutes The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is located in the Shogawa river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan on Honshu island. Shirakawa-gō is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. The Gokayama area is divided between the former villages of Kamitaira and Taira in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture. read more…Tsukiji fish market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world
1 October 2014 | Author/Destination: Asia / Asien | Rubric: General, Shopping Reading Time: 7 minutes The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and was a major attraction for foreign visitors. Currently however, access is no longer permitted to the inner market, and the outer market is open to visitors only after 9:00 AM. While this regulating was in place for quite some time, recently it is enforced. There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The “inner market” (jōnai-shijō) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The “outer market” (jōgai-shijō) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood, and many restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier. read more…Overview Theme Weeks
27 December 2011 | Author/Destination: Around the World / Rund um die Welt | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time: 20 minutes(Latest addition: March 2024) In irregular intervals we publish Theme Weeks about cities, regions, and countries. Here you can find the complete list. read more…