Finally, Land Ho! We’ve Made it to Japan

Day 12, Grand Asia 2017

Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 – Kushiro, Japan

If you like sashimi, then you must go to the Washo Ichiba when in Kushiro and try its famous “katte-don.” After just a few minutes of observation in this fish market about a kilometer from the pier, I was ready to give it a try.

I started by buying a small bowl of rice (100 yen, or about $1) from a stall on the edge of the indoor market. A number of vendors sell sashimi; I chose one and indicated to the assistant the exact fish I wanted. Fortunately, there were English labels along with the prices. I chose tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp and a white fish – all caught off Kushiro. In retrospect, I wish I had tried the whale, even though it is controversial. Total price for lunch was 1018 yen (roughly $10). It was an excellent lunch and a grand way to start off our Japanese visit.

The ship’s foghorn had accompanied our approach to Kushimo on Hokkaido, the northeastern most of the larger Japanese islands. But as the morning wore on, the fog lifted and it was a beautiful sunny day in the 50s.

Every country has its own immigration procedures. Before we could leave the ship to enter Japan, we needed to retrieve our passports (kept by the ship), complete an immigration form and proceed to a Japanese official. He scanned my fingerprints, probably took a digital photo and carefully examined my papers before putting the Japanese immigration sticker in my passport. In Japan we must carry our passports with us ashore. While orderly, this procedure seemed slow, and I didn’t clear it till later in what turned out to be a leisurely morning. We hear cruise ships on this route frequently stop at Kushiro to get immigration out of the way before the frenetic port of Yokohama, gateway to Tokyo, which is our next stop.

Holland America offered a few excursions for trekking through the surrounding marshlands, visiting the Japanese Crane Reserve or traveling to a native Ainu village (early Japanese settlers) or misty Lake Mashu, known as the world’s clearest lake. The tours were tempting, but pricey ($150 and up as I recall). So Joyce and I explored the town on our own.

Kushiro is an important port because it is relatively ice-free and in the midst of the rich fishing grounds of the sea of Japan, the Pacific ocean and the sea of Okhotsk. Russian tsars once coveted Kushiro for its ice-free harbor, and at the end of World War II the Soviets vied to include it in the Soviet-occupied north, but the Americans declined. Kushiro is on the opposite end of Hokkaido Island from the better-known Sapporo of 1972 Winter Olympic fame.

Joyce shopped for and bought a kimono along the way to the fish market. Closer to the ship, we explored the MOO market, which seems to cater to tourists by offering sweets, toys, ice cream and some fish. Connected was EGG, an enclosed pavilion with demonstrations of paper crane folding, calligraphy and the opportunity to try on kimonos. Best of all, the complex had free WIFI, so I spent 30 minutes or so downloading magazine issues, doing some port research and catching up on Facebook and Twitter. I don’t like to “waste” port time in pursuit of free WIFI, but when it’s available and I still have time before returning to the ship I’ll take advantage.

Ironically, after 11 days at sea and just one day in port, everyone around my dinner table was tired and looking forward to another sea day tomorrow. After that, we will have seven straight port days, starting with an overnight stay in Yokohama/Tokyo. We should be well rested in preparation.