Japan by Sea

Land of the Rising Sun Aboard Heritage Adventurer

May 12-23, 2026

Capacity: 82-cabins

The Trip

Join Carleton Professor Kathleen Ryor and fellow Carls for two full days of sightseeing in Tokyo followed by an eight-night cruise through the Sea of Japan and the Inland Sea aboard the 82-cabin Heritage Adventurer. Venture beyond the major cosmopolitan cities to a fascinating variety of tranquil historic towns, artistic centers, and remote islands.

Discover a Japan that few visitors see, with excursions that highlight both cutting-edge modern architecture in bustling Tokyo and ancient traditions throughout Japan, with visits to sacred temples and shrines, celebrated gardens and castles, and private cultural performances. Special events include a performance of Kodo drummers on Sado Island, and a traditional tea ceremony in Kanazawa.

Call at Ulsan, South Korea, for a day trip to Gyeongju, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its National Museum as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bulguksa Temple. Returning to Japan, you will make an unforgettable visit to the city of Hiroshima, visiting the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Cruise to the picturesque island of Miyajima, with its iconic, 6th-century Itsukushima Shinto Shrine that appears to float on the sea at high tide. An optional, pre-trip extension to Kamakura and the hot springs resort of Hakone, and an optional, post-trip extension to Kyoto and the ancient capital of Nara, are also available.

Throughout the program, you will engage with expert study leaders, including Carleton’s Kathleen Ryor—Tanaka Memorial Professor of International Understanding and Art History—and gain a better appreciation of Japan’s historical and cultural significance through a series of onboard lectures and informal discussions. In addition, local Japanese English-speaking guides will lead excursions and answer questions from travelers.

This program is co-sponsored by several organizations, so your are encouraged you to reserve your preferred cabin today by calling Alumni Adventures at (800) 811-7244 or emailing carleton@studytours.org. Spring is a wonderful time to cruise around Japan!

Carleton Leader

Kathleen Ryor is the Tanaka Memorial Professor of International Understanding and Art History at Carleton College, and her research focuses on Chinese painting and garden history of the premodern period. She is currently writing a book about Chinese botanical painting and its relationship to horticulture and pharmacopeia in the 16th and 17th centuries. At Carleton, Prof. Ryor teaches courses on East Asian art history and, over the last decade, has regularly offered specialized courses on Chinese and Japanese gardens and the Japanese tea ceremony. In the spring term of 2017, she led a Carleton Study Abroad Seminar on the history and design of Japanese gardens in Kyoto. In preparation for the program, she participated in a two-week workshop on the history and design of traditional Japanese gardens at the Kyoto College of Art and Design. Prof. Ryor is also the chair of the Japanese Garden Advisory Committee, which oversees the stewardship, maintenance, and programming of Carleton’s Garden of Quiet Listening. In the past, she has led two Carleton Alumni Adventures programs, one to the Silk Road in China and the other to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Tour Prices (10 nights)

Prices start at $9,990 double occupancy per person, and $11,990 single occupancy

Download the detailed brochure for cabin pricing.

Itinerary

Tuesday–Wednesday, May 12–13: Home/Tokyo, Japan
Thursday, May 14: Tokyo
Friday, May 15: Tokyo/Niigata/Embark
Saturday, May 16: Sado Island
Sunday, May 17: Kanazawa
Monday, May 18: Matsue
Tuesday, May 19: Ulsan, South Korea/Gyeongju
Wednesday, May 20: Hiroshima, Japan
Thursday, May 21: Miyajima
Friday, May 22: Naoshima or Kurashiki/Okayama
Saturday, May 23: Osaka/Home

Optional Pre-trip Extension: Kamakura, Hakone, and Tokyo
May 9–13, 2026

Optional Post-trip Extension: Kyoto and Nara
May 23–26, 2026

Additional Information

For more information or to reserve your space, please call 800-811-7244 or email Carleton College Alumni Adventures. To make a reservation online click here.