Alaska
Alaska to Japan: Ring of Fire to Ainu Culture
Alaska to Japan: Ring of Fire to Ainu Culture
Trace the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire” between Alaska’s volcanic Aleutian Islands and the rugged island of Hokkaido, Japan. Discover the wild, seldom-visited islands of the Bering Sea, encountering millions of seabirds as well as northern fur seals and bears in the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands. View the towering volcanic cones that frame Hokkaido—home to more than 51 volcanoes—and explore how these dramatic landscapes have shaped Ainu and Shinto traditions and centuries of Japanese history.
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Voyage Overview
Trace the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire” between Alaska’s volcanic Aleutian Islands and the rugged island of Hokkaido, Japan. Discover the wild, seldom-visited islands of the Bering Sea, encountering millions of seabirds as well as northern fur seals and bears in the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands. View the towering volcanic cones that frame Hokkaido—home to more than 51 volcanoes—and explore how these dramatic landscapes have shaped Ainu and Shinto traditions and centuries of Japanese history.
Highlight
- Explore the dramatic Aleutian Islands, where volcanic cones rise from the sea and wildlife thrives—from pods of orcas and porpoises to otters and seals
- Search for the sacred red-crowned crane on a visit to the wetlands of Kushiro on Hokkaido
- Learn about the culture of Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people on visits to a village and a living history museum
- Experience the Pribilof Islands, remote seabird enclaves teeming with whiskered auklets, red-legged kittiwakes and horned and tufted puffins
- Enjoy a rich program of lectures by an expert team of naturalists, historians and photographers
