12-Day JAPAN Cruise Round-trip Tokyo – Busan, Sasebo, Kagoshima – Days 7, 8, 9 vlog – NCL Spirit

12-Day JAPAN Cruise Round-trip Tokyo – Busan, Sasebo, Kagoshima – Days 7, 8, 9 vlog – NCL Spirit

[Music] In this episode of Postcards from Stewie, we are in Busousan, Korea, Sassibo, and Kagashima, Japan for days 7, 8, and 9 of our NCL 12-day cruise around Japan with a stop in Korea. We slept in this morning as our arrival in Busousan wasn’t until the afternoon. Emry and Stewie attended the veterans meetup. A wonderful experience. We arrived in Busousan Port at 2:30 in the afternoon. Our shore excursion was scheduled for 4 hours and would not get back to the ship until well after dark. First stop was Bamosa Temple, a magnificent historic Buddhist temple nestled on the slopes of the Gamjangan Mountain. Our next stop was Guji Market after dark, but we didn’t make it. Our group got separated at the crosswalks and traffic lights, so we just did our own thing and had a great time. Taking a break from the crowds, we decided to try some local Busousan beer at the Kalmegi Craft Beer Pub. Delicious. The sailaway was nice. The lights of the city were all around us. The Busousan Harbor Bridge was beautifully lit and changing colors. The next day, we arrived in Sassibo, Japan, bright and early. We decided to have a freestyle day today. No shore excursions and tight schedules. One thing that we did want to accomplish was to eat a Sassibo burger. The city is famous for these burgers. It was a warm day and back on the ship, we enjoyed frozen drinks at the Great Outdoors Bar and Grill. It’s Halloween and we were in Kagashima. We boarded the bus for a Sangan Garden and Leisure Tour. The first stop was the Shoku Shuan Museum. The Sangan Garden was next and across the bay was the ominous Sakurima volcano, one of Japan’s most active. The Tenankan Shopping Arcade was another impressive stop. We tried Korean soju for the first time. Back on the ship, we celebrated Halloween in the Sper Lounge. We slept in this morning. What a treat. Our arrival in Busousan wasn’t until 2:30 in the afternoon. At breakfast, we could see the city of Busousan coming into view. As a side note, Emry was here before a long time ago when he was in the US Navy. Things sure have changed, including the name. Emry remembers the name being Busan. This was the older pre-2000 spelling, and Busousan is the current and official spelling. After breakfast, Emry and Stewie attended the veterans meetup. A wonderful experience with drinks and orurves recognizing the service of the US veterans on board. We were treated to a beautiful ac cappella performance of the Star Spangled Banner by Nelson, one of the production cast members. and the home of the brave. Ladies and gentlemen, we are doing part of our trip. It’s beautiful. You always hear the chills. We know we are entering the port when the pilot boat pulls up alongside and the harbor pilot gets on board. Thank you. [Music] Once safely tied up to the pier, we disembarked the ship to find the bus for our shore excursion. There were so many buses, it was incredible. We found our bus for the day and our local guide, Zumin. Yeah, we headed out of the city and its gleaming skyscrapers and rows of res. We will have a smooth and nice tour because we are old people, right? [Music] [Music] About an hour later, we arrived at the Beaamosa Temple parking area. But most important was a potty break. We got to know Sumin a bit as we waited for the others. She taught us how to make the finger heart. This gesture is widely used to express love, affection, and gratitude. Finger heart has become so popular globally, it even has its own emoji. Walking up a steep hill, our group quickly spread out as not everyone could walk so fast, including us. Emry is usually one of the last ones to catch up as he is always busy with his cameras. [Applause] [Music] [Music] Once we reached the temple area, we caught our breath. We took in the beautiful grounds, structures, and the views. [Music] Photos were prohibited in certain areas which had signs that we obeyed. [Music] Oh, [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Our [Music] next stop was Gucci Market after dark, but we didn’t make it to the market. Our group got separated at the crosswalks and traffic lights. Look at all this. I’m getting kind of hungry now. Really? Oh, look at the corn. Oh, man. That looks good. show you Hollywood Street. Hollywood Street. So, we just walked along the brightly lit and bustling side streets where all the vendors were. The smell of all the cooking was intoxicating, and of course, we had to try something. Okay, let’s see what you guys got. What are these? They look like um chicken. Emry had the chicken skewers that were the spiciest ever. We all decided to see what Emry was sweating about and ate some. Our mouths were on fire. We needed a cold beer. I got some thick food. I’m going to need a beer. Wow. All right. Well, we found a brewery after eating extremely spicy hot chicken skewers. This market. Yeah. Oh, look at they have hoodies and t-shirts. Yeah, I know. We’re all coughing and hacking from that spicy skewer. Made in Busousan. Made in Busousan beer. This is the That wasn’t even a hot one. They had volcano, which I figured was too hot. Good evening. Here’s Emmery, Stewie, Leslie. Back to the ship. The security lines for passports and ship’s ID cards was very long. Good thing we weren’t departing until 9:00 p.m. The sail away was nice. The Busousan Harbor Bridge was beautifully lit in changing colors. It was chilly outside and Jim and Emry were topside while Leslie and Stewie stayed in the warmth of the Sper lounge. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] The next day we arrived in Sassibo, Japan, bright and early. We decided to have a freestyle day today. This meant we could do whatever we felt like. We are in Sassibo, Japan, and we are in the windows main dining room. After a leisurely breakfast, we headed out to see what the day would bring. [Applause] [Music] Here [Music] we are in Sassabo, Japan. Sassabo, Japan. We just arrived and we’re walking to one of the big shopping arcades along the waterfront. You can see the our ship in the background. We had clear customs and immigration because we were in South Korea yesterday. Yeah. They make the cruise ship leave the country for one port, but then we got to come back in and do customs and everything. So, in one day, we were in two different countries, which was interesting. Yeah. Yeah. So, Emry was here a long time ago when he was in the Navy right over there. Mhm. Cessible. Looks like they got a Japanese warship here. Maybe they have tours over something. And we have perfect weather. Oh my gosh. Gorgeous. And there’s a typhoon, category 4 down by Taiwan. And um and so it’s supposed to come up this way and we’ll see. But for right now, calm before the storm, just like in Florida, we had two backto-back hurricanes, right? I mean, literally 10 days apart, as you know from watching the news. Mhm. We’re going to go to this super duper shopping mall supposedly down here. Then we’ll walk to that other uh one. There’s lots of shopping. Yeah, we haven’t really done any shopping on this trip. There hasn’t been opportunities to. Yeah, I know. I’ve wanted a t-shirt for a long time. And you know, everywhere else we go, there are millions of stalls and shops and they’re selling everything. But here, it’s like not so much. Nothing. McDonald’s is taking over the world. They really are. Yesterday it was like trin McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC. KFC. Great. [Music] We’re here. We’re craving some authentic Japanese food. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] The only thing we wanted to do was to eat a famous Sassibo burger for lunch. For a restaurant to serve Sassibo burgers, they must be certified authentic by the Sassibo Burger Association. After a Google search, we decided on a place called Jammy Jammy Burger. It was tiny, operated by the sole proprietor, and only seated about six customers inside. We were looking and looking for Jammy Jammy Burger. Here it is. There’s our proprietor. This is it. It’s right here. So, I’m going to go outside. So, we got to look at the burgers. Yep. There’s a bunch of them. Okay, here they are. Right here. [Music] Okay, we did it, guys. We found Jammy. Jammy Burger. Emry is not a connoisseur of French fries, but he knows good ones. It’s so stewy. M. Wow. I really do. Even the bacon’s got his legs crossed. Have you ever had In-N-Out Burgers in California? In and Outers. It’s kind of like what they look like. They sort of taste like them. You have the teriyak burger. And I got the Jammy Jam signature burger. All right. It’s got an egg on it. M. The verdict is in. The Jammy Jammy burgers are amazing. Wow, they taste wonderful. Too bad there’s no taste division on here, right? Because these are really, really good. And here is the owner. I am Kao. Nice to meet you. Thank you. Was so good. Thank you. I appreciate it. If we’re ever back, we will be here. [Music] Sticking with the Stewie and Emry’s tradition, when we’re hot and tired, we come up to the great outdoor bar up here and have daquiries. Normally, they’re banana dairies, but they’re out of banana. So, peach with a rum floater on top. These are delicious. So is the strawberry with a tequila floater. As we sailed away, we were treated to a Tao and flute performance. Tao are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. It sounded amazing. [Music] [Music] As we were sailing into Kagoshima Bay, the Sakurojima volcano dominated the view. It is an active volcano and smokes constantly with minor eruptions often occurring multiple times a day. A major eruption in 1914 was one of the most powerful in Japan in the 20th century. The massive amount of lava that flowed from this event connected the former island to the mainland, turning it into a peninsula. We were amazed to see homes, businesses, and hotels all along the shoreline of the volcano. The closest point of the volcano is only about 4 km or 2 and a half miles from the city’s center across Kagoshima Bay. We received a warm welcome as we were pulling into the cruise terminal. We’re in Kagoshima, Japan. We were at breakfast before we leave for a short excursion. Happy wakey wakey. Good morning. Good morning. Breakfast was relaxing and we had lots of time before we mustered in the Stardust Theater for a SAN garden and leisure tour. [Music] Good morning Japanese. Welcome to Kagoshima Kagoshima city. Please call me. On the bus, we drove through the city and got a glimpse of everyday life. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Our first stop was the Shoku Shusan Museum, offering a look into the 800year history of the powerful Shamazu clan. Visitors can explore a vast collection of approximately 10,000 artifacts. [Music] [Music] There was a little booth there having volcano on here. Can you imagine buying a house on the volcano right there? No, I can’t. I can’t. Adjacent to the museum is the Sangan Garden, which was the former residence of the Shimazu clan. Both sites are part of Japan’s Mei Industrial Revolution and designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Also [Music] a lot of present moment is for competition. [Music] So the kantam is also the symbol of our imperial family. [Music] Look at here. All these ants, right? All the contests, competition, local competitions. Yeah. The county fairs. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] use of active volcano and the sea. There’s a typhoon coming category 4. It’s hitting Taiwan right now. It’s We’re in the southernmost poor point of Japan at Kish Kagoshima at Kishu Island or Yeah, whatever it is. We’ll look it up for you. Live volcano right behind us. Live volcano. And we’re feeling the wind. outer bands of the wind right now. So, it’s making it more exciting cuz we just came from Florida and went through two major hurricanes recently. So, yeah. All right. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] milk sweet potato and milk and sweet potato. And here’s the uh ke girls. Yay. And here are the ice cream cones. These are the sweet potato ice cream cones. Well, Stewie just came back from the gift shop. And what did you get, Stewie? I got green tea. Green tea. I got um volcano uh kind of sweet kind of things. Is it rock candy? No. Volcanic pummus candy. Piggy sweet potato candy. Yes, cuz where we’re at is known for sweet potatoes. Wait, hold those up. Let me see. And they’re in the shape of pigs, right? Okay. [Music] [Applause] [Music] I [Music] [Applause] final stop on the tour was the huge Tenman shopping arcade. One of the most defining features of Tenmankin is its network of covered arcades which spans several blocks. This elegant glass canopy provides a welcome escape from the weather and more importantly from the frequent volcanic ash that falls from Sakuima. [Music] The district is a captivating blend of old and new. You’ll find a mix of longestablished traditional shops alongside popular chain stores, trendy boutiques, and lively restaurants catering to all ages and tastes. [Music] As we waited for our bus back to the ship, Emry spotted a 7-Eleven and headed in. He came back with a bottle of Korean soju. We watched our share of Kdrama TV shows and everyone drinks soju, so we had to try some. [Music] Back on the ship, we celebrated Halloween in the Sper Lounge. Great time. And we’re in the spre lounge on the spirit, right? The spirit of Halloween night. We’re here. Look, it’s a party. Thanks for watching. Click one of the thumbnails to enjoy another episode of Postcards from Stewie.

In this episode of Postcards from Stewy, we are in BUSAN, Korea, SASEBO and KAGOSHIMA, Japan for days 7, 8 and 9 of our NCL Spirit 12-day cruise around Japan with a stop in Korea.

We saw in Busan, Pusan, Beomeosa Temple, Gukje Market, BIFF Square, Busan International Film Festival, Hollywood Street, Calmegi Craft Beer Pub, Korean Street food, Busan Harbor Bridge, Busan Harbor Cruise Terminal, finger heart, Korean Soju. In Sasebo we saw, Jami Jami Burger, Sasebo Burger, U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo (CFAS), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), Sasebo GoBanGai Mall, Sasebo Yokkomachi Mall, Taiko and Flute Japanese Music, Kagoshima on Japan’s Kyushu Island, Sakurajima active volcano, Shoko Shuseikan Museum, Seneganen Garden, Tenmonkan shopping arcade, Halloween on the Norwegian NCL Spirit, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Bay, Shimadzu clan.

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BUSAN Korea, SASEBO Japan, and KAGOSHIMA Japan, ncl spirit japan cruise, vlog japon, cruise Japan, ncl spirit japan cruise, norwegian spirit, shore excursion, US Navy

Chapters:
00:00 INTRO
02:36 Day 7 – In Port Busan, Korea
03:00 Veteran’s Meetup, NCL US Military Benefits
03:41 Pulling into the Cruise Terminal
03:57 Shore Excursion
04:25 Sumin, local tour guide
05:09 Bomeosa Temple – finger heart
06:37 *Postcard from Stewy
06:42 BIFF Square & Street Food after dark
07:59 Calmegi Craft Beer Pub
08:43 Sail Away under the Busan Harbor Bridge at night
10:03 Day 8 – In Port Sasebo, Japan
10:12 Breakfast
10:25 Sasebo Cruise Terminal
10:43 Going Exploring
12:47 KFC
13:02 Walking Tour of Sasebo Yokkomachi Mall
14:02 Lunchtime Sasebo Burger at Jami Jami Burger
15:42 Drinks at the Great Outdoors Bar and Grill
16:12 Sail-away with a Taiko and Flute performance
16:43 *Postcard from Stewy
16:48 Day 9 – In Port Kagoshima, Japan
16:50 Kagoshima Bay – Sakaurajima Volcano
17:40 Breakfast wakey wakey
17:52 Shore Excursion
18:07 Chieko local tour guide
18:48 *Postcard from Stewy
18:53 Shoko Shuseikan Museum
19:36 Sengan-en Garden
21:29 Stewy and Emery with active volcano
23:26 Snacks and goodies
24:03 *Postcard from Stewy
24:07 Bus to Tenmonkan shopping arcade
25:27 Emery has Korean Soju
25:50 Back to the ship
25:58 Halloween Night
26:13 Thanks for Watching

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