North Pacific Passage to Japan

Ocean Cruise from Vancouver to Tokyo via Alaska

Arrival in Tokyo

After leaving Otaru we sailed overnight and all the next day, arriving in Tokyo in the morning. It had been 38 years since we left Japan so we expected that we’d see a lot of changes and that was certainly the case. We have heard a lot about the Japanese economy being in the doldrums for many years now, but one could not tell it by looking around. Tokyo has grown in size, from almost 12 million in 1989 to over 14 million now, so it seems even more crowded than before. In addition, skyscrapers are everywhere now, and the excellent train and subway systems have improved even more.