Day 1 : Taipei/TAIWAN

Across the Formosa Strait from mainland China is the bustling port of Keelung, on the island of Taiwan. Just 20 miles inland is Taipei, the national capital, one of the most prosperous cities in Asia. Marvel at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Grand Hotel, and the National Palace Museum, with its art treasures from Beijing''s Forbidden City.

Day 2 : At Sea

Day 3 : Ishigaki Isl./JAPAN

Day 4 : Naha/JAPAN

Day 5 : At Sea

Day 6 : Kochi/JAPAN

Day 7 : At Sea

Day 8 : Osaka/JAPAN

This large, bustling port is the starting point for tours to the ancient cities of Kyoto and Nara, the cultural fountainheads of classical Japan. Kyoto's Old Imperial Palace and the shogunal Nijo Castle remain glorious symbols of the power the city held for over 1,000 years. Until 1868, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, filled with elegant timber buildings and, perhaps more than any other Japanese city, imbued with Kami, the divine spirit. You'll sense it everywhere, for there are hundreds of Shinto shrines and over a thousand Buddhist temples, as well as sacred treasure-houses of religious sculpture, painting and exquisite gardens. Nara, City of the Seven Great Temples, lies in an idyllic setting.

Day 9 : Shimizu/JAPAN

Day 10 : Tokyo/JAPAN