Why you should cruise around Japan

From its ultra high-tech cities and world-beating food to its grand temples and bamboo forests, there really is no other country like Japan. Tuck into a steaming bowl of ramen at a station counter or watch a tea ceremony in an imperial castle, and you’ll see for yourself the wonderfully Japanese fascination with detail that has ensured that the country has one of the least diluted cultures in the world.

With over 6,800 islands in its archipelago, a cruise is one of the best ways of seeing Japan with itineraries taking in multiple cities and ports. Setting the tone for the country’s great metropolises are the towering skyscrapers of Tokyo, criss-crossed by neon-lit backstreets,  pedestrian crossings and wooden shanty bars. It’s also got the highest number of Michelin starred restaurants in the world, not least Sukiyabashi Jiro, a three-starred sushi restaurant located in an unpromising basement adjacent to Ginza Metro Station.

Then there…