Island Wonders & the Soul of Ancestral Japan on the Le Jacques Cartier

Admire the raw and authentic beauty composed of monumental cliffs and huge rock formations dating back to the Cretaceous periodnearly 80 million years ago. You will be captivated by these landscapes unlike any other. Between the Yatsushiro and Ariake seas, off the coast of Nagasaki, succumb to the charms of the island region of Amakusa, once the refuge of Christians fleeing the ban on Catholicism in the 17th century during the Edo period.  Further north, between South Korea and Fukuoka Prefecture, in the Tsushima Strait, a little-known island called Iki will reveal itself to you in a glorious setting of rock faces with verdant summits and heavenly beaches of fine sand. Considered one of the cradles of Shinto, the island boasts no fewer than 150 shrines scattered across these sacred and unspoiled lands. Le Jacques Cartier will sail westward to the volcanic island of Jeju in South Korea. Dominated by the majestic silhouette of the Hallasan volcano, the country’s tallest peak, this nature sanctuary reveals its most beautiful treasures: steep cliffs with emerald and ashen reflections, monumental waterfalls, bewitching virgin forests, long stretches of tea plantations, and more.  Next, set off to discover picturesque Shimonoseki, the westernmost town on the island of Honshu, opposite the Kanmon Straits. You are now entering the waters of the emblematic Seto Inland Sea. Here, discover preserved islands and picturesque towns, witnesses to the passage of the mid-18th-century Japanese merchants, who would travel the Kitamae maritime route every year. Shimokamagari and Mitarai are fishing villages imbued with a timeless atmosphere, while the ”shrine island” of Miyajima is classed as one of Japan’s three most scenic places thanks to its floating torii and Shinto temple. Onimichi will then reveal its many emblematic temples, including Senkō-ji, Saikoku-ji, and Jōdo-ji. You will then arrive in Tomonoura, known for its gentle way of life and its craggy landscapes, which inspired the artist Hayao Miyazaki for the animated film Ponyo. You disembark in Kobe, a charming harbour city nestling between sea and mountains in the heart of the Japanese archipelago.