Hello Ninja Army, it’s Emily here. Today i wanted to share with you this awesome adventure that i went on exploring Kyushu’s 99 Islands. Let’s go.
Japan is a nation of many islands but most travellers never get beyond the main four.
At Kujukushima National Park near Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, you can up your island quotient by taking a tour of the region's waters.
To do this we headed down to Saikai Pearl Sea Resort to take a trip on the magnificent “Mirai” cruise ship.
Its design combines the grandeur of a modern ship with the fun of its pirate theme.
The Mirai’s exterior design is based on a pirates hat.
Its figurehead, an eagle holding a pearl, was made using a 3D printer.
The ships interior is quite kitch, with its patterned ceilings mirroring the waves on which it sails, it’s various pirate statues and treasure items and comfortable seating areas.
There is a souvenir shop/cafe on board if you want to purchase anything for friends and family.
I went for a chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, it was delicious.
The boat, which cost ¥500 million to build is also Japan’s first completely electric powered excursion boat.
You can see the solar panels that powered throughout ship.
The word "kujuku" literally means "99" but in truth, there are 208 islands off the coast of Sasebo, the largest concentration of islands anywhere in Japan.
Of these islands, only four are inhabited (and served by a ferry system that connects them to the mainland).
The rest range from heavily forested knobs to rocky outcrops to sandy strips sticking out of the water.
If these islands look familiar, chalk it up to the fact that they featured prominently in the opening scenes of the film The Last Samurai.
Now. Sit Back, Relax and Take a minute to check out the view.
There are two cruise ships that you can take The Mirai and The Pearl Queen.
Cruises leave from the end of the pier at the Saikai Pearl Resort just north of Sasebo city every half an hour from 10am to 3:30pm.
There is also a sunset cruise in the evening but the departure time varies depending on the season.
All commentary on board is in Japanese and English.
Tickets can be purchased on the day from the counters inside the cruise terminal.
Tickets cost ¥1400 yen for Adults and ¥700 for children.
That's all i have for you today. I hope you enjoyed this videso. If you did please give it a thumbs up. It would be ver appreciated.
And i hope that if you ever get the chance to come to Nagasaki and to Sasebo you will get to go on this awesome cruise.
Thanks for watching and i'll see you next time. Bye.