Tokyo, Japan: What a great city! We had a private tour guide, Yosuke Yokokura, Discover Japan Tours, who provided an afternoon, and evening tour (12 noon until 8 p.m.), as well as a morning tour to the Tsukiji Fish Market. We would definitely do this again. I would recommend taking a shore excursion, or hiring a private guide for at least some of your time in Tokyo. Crystal has a shuttle that takes you to Ginza. There are also busses that come to the port, and you could probably take them on your own if you know where you want to go, and the bus routes. You can also use the Yamanote line or subway. I will e-mail you some of the sites I used.

Aomori, Japan: We arrived here at the perfect time for the Cherry Blossom Festival in Hirosaki. If you are interested in going to this festival if it is on, or just going to see Hirosaki Castle and the surrounding area, there is a member of LCT with whom we sailed who made all of the arrangements for our group to go there. Perhaps, he will chime in on this thread. If not, I will check with him about posting his information. I am still kicking myself for not going to Hirosaki with them. On a positive note, it means that I can tell you about Aomori. This is an easy port to do on your own. There is a tourist centre within easy walking distance from where the ship docks. It has a variety of shops, an area where they put on a show, and places where you can eat if you wish. On top of that, there is a welcoming area right on the dock where they hand out maps, provide information, and also have a walking tour that begins at 9:30 a.m. (at least that was the time given when we were there). If you choose to walk on your own, there are many shops, shrines, and areas to explore. There is also a park very close to the Aomori Prefectural Office, and District Court that has some beautiful scenery including cherry blossom trees.

Otaru, Japan: Initially, I thought this was a port that had an interesting shopping area, and wonderful restaurants (including one where we had fantastic sushi/sashimi) and was content when we walked back to the ship. However, I met people I knew and went out again to go exploring with them. We had initially missed one of the best tourist options. This is the Canal area. There are boats available to take you for a ride down the canal. There are artists and musicians who line the walkway that goes beside the canal. On the opposite side of the canal are original buildings that make you feel like you have gone back in time. This is all within easy walking of the ship. (Crystal also offers a shuttle if you prefer not to walk as far.)

Japan was amazing. Despite the number of people, everything is orderly, and trains/busses run on time. It is extremely clean, and there was not one place we saw where I would worry about eating off the ship. I felt totally comfortable walking around on my own (making sure I had a map as street names are often not in English). Even in cities, there are many areas that feel like a small town, and the gardens are gorgeous.

I recommend downloading one of the Apps that allows you to translate from English to Japanese. It worked perfectly when we wanted to order a glass of water or a beer, get the bill, etc. Most people do not speak English, and their faces lit up when I would press on the App and it would “speak” for me. Sometimes, I had to show them the Japanese translation. Just as everywhere else we have travelled, there are different accents, and the App was not always “Crystal” clear. I used SpeakEasy Japanese. We learned a few basic words such as "thank you".

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.