Busan, South Korea

 

Friday 26^th September. Busan, South Korea

Opened the curtains this morning to see a very cosmopolitan city, Busan. Many bright and shiny towers, another cruise ship at the terminal and a lot of hustle and bustle. Our plans withered in the heat, Port number 4 in as many days is far beyond what we’re accustomed to, 2 port days in a row is as much has been asked of us in the past. So, suck it up and join the Princess supplied shuttle bus into an area of Busan that is close to many sights and attractions. $US20 pp return for about a 15 minute ride to the Stanford Inn Hotel, but in a very pimped out coach. So different to yesterday!

I’ve got a few plans in mind, although we made it to most of them, it was all a bit of a disappointment. First up was the BIFF (Busan International Film Festival). Not sure how it came to be called that, there was a bench with a fibreglass Simpsons family sitting and you could sit amongst them for a photo, we walked past a section of footpath that had handprints and names like the Hollywood walk of fame, but we had no idea of who they were. Many street food stalls along the way and we could have been tempted had it been later in the day.

I’d read about the Gukje markets which started life as a flea market with vendors selling 2^nd hand wares of all sorts, but in the years since it started, it’s morphed into a series of more established businesses selling anything and everything, mostly sectioned off by type. There was an electrical alley, plumbing, cookware, catering and hospitality supplies and more. Interesting to look at but not to buy. Not what I expected.

Next on the list was the Bosu Book Street, again, sounded interesting, but when you see it, not so much. Again, something that started off small with one couple selling 2^nd hand magazines and books to eek out a living. ‘There’s some murals up the stairs’ I read. Always a sucker for a nice mural, we start climbing the stairs, although they’re more like temple steps. IYKYK. A café with a bright yellow door about halfway up doesn’t open for another hour. Shame about that, it would have been a good spot to stop and catch our breath. We soldiered on up the stairs, in the hope of seeing these wonderful murals. Vincent van Gogh, the self portrait with a bit of starry night in the background. Interesting choice and totally unexpected. And probably not worth risking the heart attack climbing the stairs! On the way back down, the café owner was outside the gate, sweeping leaves, getting ready to open. We had a bit of a chat, but he didn’t invite us in early.

Maybe we’ll do better at the Jagalchi fish markets? Some nice fresh seafood for lunch. It’s a huge market downstairs, selling all the fresh fish, so fresh it’s still swimming and upstairs, yes more damn stairs, is the place for eating. By the time we got up there, I felt sick, certainly didn’t want to eat, but the woman kept flipping the pages in the menu, telling us all about it. I need to sit! I really can’t stand the thought of eating, I’m so hot. Probably just as well, the prices were ridiculous, clearly the local tourist trap. One serve of grilled shrimp was 40,000 won and a serve of grilled scallops was 60,000 won. Around $AU100!

After a bit of recovery time, we set off again, this time for an air condtioned shopping centre, Lotte department store. There’s an observation deck on the thirteenth floor, clearly not superstitious about the number 13. Eventually we find it and it’s barren and baking hot so we don’t hang around for long. Back down on the ground floor is apparently the largest musical water fountain in the world. I think they just threw in the music to claim the title, because a similar sized one we saw in Singapore didn’t have music. It was actually worth seeing and we were lucky to be there for the show. On the hour, every hour.

We found somewhere to eat lunch. It amazes me the number of people who go back to the ship for lunch. There was a restaurant and out the front was a picture of a plate of tempura, so we went in and were given menus. Someone was going to come back and take our order, but with the help of the pictures in the menu, we were able to order what we wanted on the tablet at the table, even though it was all in Korean. I think the staff were impressed. My lunch was a rice bowl topped with 10 different tempura things. One of them was a soft boiled egg! Mind blown! Who thought of that? The other things were a shrimp, some lotus root, green chili (skipped that), a clump of enoki mushrooms, a leaf that the staff said was catnip, a cup mushroom, a piece of squid, nori, and thin slices of pumpkin. Amazing! I was curious about the catnip so I looked it up and I don’t think what I had was catnip.

Probably looking at a 10 min walk in the heat, and another 10 min wait for the shuttle, so we head off to the meeting point.

Back to the ship to download photos and use the land based wi fi while we still have it.

Sakaiminato. Manga town

Thursday 25 September 2025  Sakaiminato

Sakaiminato has 2 claims to fame, one probably more well known than the other, depending on how you roll. Seafood and Manga. We experienced them both today, after catching the shuttle bus provided by the town at the price of 500 yen pp each way. 

 

The shuttle dropped us at Sakiaminato train station, the start of the display of  177 cast statues that line the aptly named Mizuki Shigera Road. The road runs from the train station for about 1 km, the creations of Shigeru Mizuki who was born here. He was 21 when he got called up to serve in the Japanese military during World War 2 and I think his art is a reaction to the horrors of war. He created all these modern ‘yokai’ spirit characters and many of them are very strange looking. He served in Rabaul where he lost his left arm in an explosion. He even toyed with the idea of staying on in Rabaul after the war but returned home and went to art school. 

 

After a couple of days of overcast skies and cool breezes, the heat and humidity was back with a vengeance today, slowing our pace. We experienced Sakaiminato’s famous seafood when we stopped for lunch at Kani Jiman.

We returned to the ship via the shuttle and decided to walk over to the supermarket we could see about 500m away, called Plant 5. I’d heard this place being compared to Walmart and while I’ve never been in one, I compared it to Costco without the need to buy in bulk. It was huge!!

Immigration procedures needed to be completed before we boarded the ship, we’re leaving Japan tonight and will wake up in Busan, South Korea tomorrow.

 

Tsuruga the Port of Humanity

 

Wednesday 24^th September 2025. Tsuruga.

In Japan, tourist sites, tourist information centres, train stations, government buildings and the like all have a stamp and stamp pad that you can print into a special stamp collecting book. I brought a book with me and I’ve been collecting stamps whenever and wherever I think of it. I have at least one from most days. 

 Looking from the ship, we see a line of little blue and white vans on the dock and wonder what they are. Turns out, they're port-a-loos. 

The locals in Tsuruga are a very welcoming bunch and run a shuttle service into the town, via a few sites. The Port of Humanity museum, the main street in town, the train station, back through town, the Port of Humanity museum and back to the ship. Large comfy modern coaches, and all at no cost to the passengers. Everyone we met here was so welcoming and happy to see us. All keen to know where we were from, how many times we’d been to Japan and did we like it? We like it very much!

So we jumped on the coach and got off at the first stop, the Port of Humanity museum. Tsuruga has been called the Port of Humanity because of the important humanitarian events that took place during 1939. Thousands of Jewish refugees from Poland and Lithuania were saved from the Nazis by visas issued by Sugihara Chiune who was the vice-consul of Japan in Lithuania, against the Japanese Government’s rules about who qualified for a visa. The act being likened to Schindler’s List. The refugees travelled the Trans Siberian railway to Vladivostok then crossed the Sea of Japan by ship, landing in Tsuruga, then travelling on to Kobe or Yokohama and boarded ships for their final destination in other sympathetic countries. Another humanitarian act took place earlier than this, between 1920 and 1922, when the Japanese Government and Tsuruga locals worked together to save more than 760 Polish children, displaced or orphaned by the Russian civil war.Apples became the symbol of this kindness as legend has it that the refugees were offered apples to eat.

Such an interesting place and only 1000yen entry. And they had a stamp.

When we left there we walked along the waterfront towards the fish market. This town is famous for it’s seafood. Unfortunately I forgot to check google maps for the opening hours of the restaurant I wanted to go to and the other nearby restaurants were closed too. The closest we got to fish was a tile in the path!

 

So another walk back to the main part of town. This is also another shuttle stop. Trevor checks his map and finds a place to eat that sounds good, Waiwaitei, so we head there. Turns out to be quite nice, but doesn’t beat yesterday’s ramen. On the way, we pass a volunteer group that are teaching the tourists how to write a word of their choice in kanji, the traditional Japanese writing system. We tell them we’ll come back after we’ve had lunch.

 

While we were being seated, a tv film crew approached us and asked if they could film us while we were ordering our food. So, we’re going to be on local tv but we’ll never see it! When we were paying, the owner said he thought my chopstick skills were very good. He said he was surprised!

The Kehi-jingu Shrine is just a short walk away, and we still have time, so we cross the road to check it out. The main Torii gate is quite large and an impressive sight. Again the welcoming volunteers have set up an origami lesson for the tourists, teaching us to make the famous Japanese crane. We finished making our cranes and were in time to see a traditional music and dance performance. 

 

We were about to head to the shuttle stop when I remembered the kanji so we stopped by there and the woman had remembered us and was very happy that we went back. I chose the word Peace and one woman showed me how to write it and then I had a go. It turned out pretty well. 

 

Fushiki port

 Tuesday 23^rd Sept 2025 Fushiki (port for Takaoka and Toyama.)

We don’t dock till 9am so no rush to get going today. The shuttle bus in to town is provided by Princess, at a price, a fairly high price. USD 22 return per person, cheaper for kids. It takes us to the Takaoka train station where we start our day at the Doraemon Walking Trail. Doraemon is a beloved and iconic character in manga and anime. The name roughly translates as ‘stray’ and he is a blue cat-like robot from the 22^nd century who travels back in time to help a pre teen boy.

 

From there we head towards Yamachosuji Street, famous for the earthenware storehouses that line the street. There are some lovely old buildings with sculpted trees, like bonsai but full size.

 

Google maps takes us through all sorts of narrow backstreets to Kanayamachi, the traditional metal casting district. We eventually found the stone paved street that was the main focus of the district. Written on the map we were given by volunteers who met the ship was a note that said if you presented your cruise card at a certain shop, you would receive an aluminium bottle of ‘water from Takaoka’. Never being one to shy away from a challenge we set about finding the shop. The lady there welcomed us in, gave us tea, tried to have a conversation and she eventually realised we were there for the water bottle.

We went into the small Takaoka Casting Museum, displaying artefacts of the era and a kind man explained the history to us. In 1611, the second head of the Kaga Maeda family, who had retired to Takaoka, invited seven foundry workers from another part of Japan and gave them land to establish a foundry. He also gave them many privileges, such as exemption from taxes and protected them, and the foundry industry started making it the birthplace of today’s Takaoka castings.

At the rear of the museum and also accessed by another road, was the Kanaya Ryokuchi Park where there were many cast statues and a large water feature. A large display featured works by local school children. And an impressive water feature.

 

I’d read that the area was known for it’s black ramen and I tracked down one of the best places to try it. Menhachi Otabiya. The reviews weren’t wrong either. I think it was the best ramen I’ve ever had! Even Trevor enjoyed it and he’s not that keen on ramen. 

 

The day has gone from overcast and cool to sunny and warm, so we decide to hit one more spot before we head back to the ship. The Great Buddha of Takaoka, one of Japan’s three great Buddha statues, that stands 16m tall, made of bronze, after previous wooden statues on the site burnt down.

 

We return to Takaoka train station, I find a stamp for my book and we go to wait for the shuttle bus to return to the ship. We arrange to have dinner with Robyn and Dolf and swap stories of our day.

 

Bonus day at sea

 

Monday 22^nd September 2025  bonus day at sea

Today we should have been visiting Akita, home of the Akita dog. It’s typhoon season and while there’s a massive one to the south of us, there’s a significant system to our north that we don’t want to sail into, hence the reduction in speed and the foregoing of Akita.

Trevor’s neck is still a bit stiff and sore, but improving.