UZUSHIO CRUISE (NARUTO STRAIT)

During this 60-minute cruise, we board one of the company's two sailboats. The first, Kanrinmaru, is a replica of a ship built in 1856 in the Netherlands, the first ship to have crossed the Pacific in 1860, from Yokohama to the west coast of the United States, under the command of Captain Katsu Kaishu. The second ship, the Nipponmaru, is a replica of a Japanese warship built in 1930 at Kōbe. Both of the company's boats offer a resolutely pleasant setting to enjoy the cruise, on deck or inside. Indeed, the two ships are composed of three levels, one of which even allows you to sit on tatami mats. The Naruto Strait is unique in the world because of its size, and has even been nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Strait marks the separation between the Japanese Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The water flows from the Pacific Ocean into the bay of Ōsaka and around Awaji Island to the Japanese Inland Sea before flowing down to the Naruto Strait. The water level will then be higher on the Sea of Japan side than on the Pacific Ocean side, cascading down to the Naruto Strait, with a water flow speed of 20 km/h. The water level will then be higher on the Sea of Japan side than on the Pacific Ocean side. The process will take 6 hours before it is reversed: it is then the water level on the Pacific Ocean side that will be higher. At the level of the strait, the current is very fast in the centre, but slower on the sides. It is this friction between currents of different speeds that produces the eddies. At their level, the water takes on a beautiful emerald colour. The strength of the eddies is predicted over the year according to the moon, which will influence the Earth's attraction (during periods of full moon, the eddies are faster). The water sucked in by the whirlpools must necessarily come out and we can also observe small jets of water nicknamed yuzu no hana. This cruise is highly recommended to take full advantage of the observation of these impressive natural phenomena from the wide deck of the two beautiful ships of the company. The port of Fukura, where the embarkation point is located, is connected to Kobe Sannomiya Station via Awaji Rapid Transport buses (85 minutes).