A Stormy Goodbye to Japan
Day 20, Grand Asia 2017
Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 – Kagoshima, Japan
Word spread quickly throughout the ship this afternoon of the monster typhoon approaching Japan. Of course, the rumors were largely inaccurate. Yes, Typhoon Lan is heading toward landfall near Tokyo and is expected to disrupt commerce and the local elections. No, we will not need to deviate from our course, which is northwest toward Tianjin, China, the port nearest Beijing.
Capt. Eversen did warn us to expect heavier than usual seas later tonight and into tomorrow. Earlier I saw the deck crew stacking and lashing down deck furniture, and my room steward Badrus put the tray containing my ice bucket and water glasses on the floor. Before going to bed I did some much-needed organization of things in my room, putting my camera and laptop securely in drawers.
Today we are a quarter of the way through our 80-day adventure. It started as so many days in Japan have with overcast skies. Our final Japanese port is Kagoshima, a fair-sized city in the shadow of the active volcano Sakurajima, whose peak today is shrouded in clouds. Kagoshima is a sister city to Italy’s Naples with its Vesuvius. Both also have mild climates and palm tree lined streets.
The forecast called for rain in the afternoon, so I took a morning shuttle into the city center and window shopped for a couple of hours. I still had 10,000 Japanese yen (about $100) to spend, but didn’t find anything I really wanted. When I changed the yen back into dollars later on the ship, I got $80 for what I had paid $98 for earlier in the week. I hope the money I exchanged before the trip will get me through future ports. If I do need more, I’ll be more careful about how much I exchange.
Rain came as promised, but it didn’t stop an enthusiastic middle school jazz band from sending us off with a short but lively concert. Quite a crowd applauded from the lower promenade deck. The people of Japan have been universally friendly and welcoming during our visits to seven ports.
As we left Kagoshima, a submarine appeared off our port side. Everyone in the Crow’s Nest rushed over to take a look. It’s my first submarine sighting while at sea. Of course, you never know what has passed beneath.
We loved our Kagoshima stop earlier this year. We went to see the Samuri houses in Chiran and went to the Peace Museum there. This is the base where kamikaze pilots flew from during WWII. Fascinating place, heartbreaking letters from those young kids saying goodbye to their parents. From the Japanese perspective they were doing their duty. I’ll never forget it.