We are in the ancient Imperial city of Kyoto, Japan’s cultural and spiritual heartland, in the last days of cherry blossom season.
My husband and I and our two daughters, aged four and three, are en route to one of the country’s most iconic temples, Kinkaku-ji – the Golden Pavilion.
Japan had been on our bucket list for a while – and front of mind recently, with the Rugby World Cup and Tokyo Olympics next year.
The cruise includes daily excursions but passengers can also organise their own trips, such as a visit to Himeji castle, above
I had visited before but what held us back from returning was how hard long-haul travel can be with kids – never mind the culture shock of Japan itself.
Then there was the lightbulb moment: we realised the best way to tackle a destination as challenging as Japan was by cruise ship.
OK, we still had to take a long flight but once there, with a floating hotel as our base, we could start each day in a new place without the hassle of getting there, or repacking; we could ensure a comfortable stay, and introduce the children to the local cuisine, safe in the knowledge that, if they didn’t love it, there would be plenty of alternatives on board.
The Celebrity Millennium sails during the Easter holidays and the itinerary takes in sights such as Mount Fuji, above
We could take all potential stresses out of such a big trip and focus on enjoying everything from bullet trains to bentos and shrines to sushi bars.
We chose the 14-night Japan Explorer cruise on board 2,158-passenger Celebrity Millennium, sailing during the Easter holidays on an itinerary featuring Mount Fuji, Kobe, Kyoto and Hiroshima.
The ship’s medium size meant there would be a good range of facilities without being too big.
Celebrity Millennium promised a family-friendly vibe – with a kids’ club and babysitting if we needed them – but where the emphasis is on spending quality time together.
The Celebrity Millennium cruise ship promises a family-friendly vibe, with activities such as petting deer on Miyajima island
The writer visited the statue of Sadako in Hiroshima
Weeks later, we were in Kyoto – and the Golden Pavilion was gleaming in the sunshine. Unfortunately, crowds were surging through its magnificent gardens, making it hard to contemplate. Nearby, Ryoan-ji temple, with its ‘garden’ of stone islands in a sea of raked gravel, was mesmerising – although the girls found the subsequent ride on Kyoto’s last streetcar more exciting.
Almost as much fun was lunch at a conveyor-belt sushi bar where they watched with wonder as tempting morsels of tuna maki and prawn tempura nigiri trundled by.
We had our fill for just £13, for all of us, but Kura Sushi will be remembered for the near pile-up of plates when our salmon sashimi dish got stuck on the belt.
Our trip had started in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, where Celebrity Millennium was moored alongside Osanbashi pier. Its undulating boardwalks proved the perfect place for the girls to burn off the 12 hours they had spent cooped up on the flight as we waited to board.
Inside, Celebrity Millennium exceeds all expectations, having undergone a refurbishment as part of a fleet-wide upgrade. All suites and staterooms have muted tones and the bathrooms have power showers.
An overnight stop in Kobe means that nearby cities such as Osaka, Kyoto (above) and Nara are easily accessible
Though compact, our stateroom had a king-size double bed (with cashmere mattress) and a sofa-bed for the girls to share.
That evening, my youngest daughter and I watched from our balcony as we sailed out of Yokohama into Tokyo Bay.
The apple pancakes and views of Mt Fuji that greeted us in the Ocean View Cafe the next morning are still imprinted in my memory. The food was outstanding and, from a spoiling array of options (eight restaurants), the girls loved Qsine restaurant for the iPads as much as the popcorn chicken and ‘disco shrimp’, while we favoured the Tuscan Grille for its pastas and wine list.
Sushi On Five was the stand-out family favourite for its ramen and udon, gyoza dumplings and fresh sushi. Its chef had very likely been shopping in Shimizu Port in Shizuoka, our destination on day two, where Japan’s largest tuna catch is landed.
There we joined a half-day excursion visiting a pine-fringed beach with views of Mount Fuji and an important shrine dedicated to shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The crowded cable car there gave us a taste of Japanese commuter trains as we were squeezed in by a gloved attendant.
That afternoon, as fellow guests returned from their day trips to Hakone, the mountain town famous for its onsen (hot spring), we hopped into our own version, Millennium’s outdoor hot tub.
For me, scenic cruising through the breathtaking Seto Inland Sea was a highlight; for Dad, wine tastings on board in Cellar Masters and a sake brewery tour in rural Shikoku; for the children, petting the tame deer on the island of Miyajima.
An overnight call in Kobe presented the options of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, all close by, to which organised excursions were offered.
However, as most involved long days, we headed off to Kyoto and the city of Himeji (famous for its castle), travelling on the 185mph ‘Nozomi’ Shinkansen, the fastest of Japan’s bullet trains, which was a hit.
My lasting memory is of our daughters leaving their own origami paper crane at the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, beneath the statue of a young atom bomb victim called Sadako.
We had read her story and learned Sadako had folded paper cranes – a Japanese symbol of peace and long life – while she was sick in hospital. When we arrived, our four-year-old seemed to sense the significance of the place. It was a special moment and a reminder that travelling with children can enrich everyone.