Japan Cruise Glossary

Every word this site uses that a first-time Japan cruiser might not — the ship's, the port's and Japan's — defined in one line each, with the page that goes deeper.

All-aboard: The time by which every passenger must be back on the ship — printed in the daily program, and different from departure time. Port of Japan plans end 60 minutes before it.
Berth: The specific quay where the ship ties up. In Japan the berth, not the port, decides whether you can walk to town — see the berth index.
Tender: A small boat that ferries passengers ashore when the ship anchors instead of docking. Toba is the classic Japanese tender port.
Roll call: A forum thread (Cruise Critic, Facebook, WhatsApp) for passengers on one sailing, used to share plans and assemble small groups for private vans.
Gangway: The walkway between ship and pier. Every time on this site is measured from it.
Port day sheet: Port of Japan's free printable: one page per port with the timed plan, ride facts and taxi Japanese — works with no signal.
Shuttle: A bus the port or line runs from a non-walkable berth to a central drop-off. It runs on its own timetable; treat the last shuttle as a mini all-aboard.
IC card: A tap-to-pay transit card (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and regional equivalents). Works on most city buses and trains in the big ports; less so in small ones.
Seiri-ken: The numbered slip you take when boarding a regional bus at the rear door; the fare board at the front shows what your number pays on exit.
Port of entry: The first Japanese port on an itinerary, where every foreign passenger clears a face-to-face immigration inspection once.
Landing permit: The temporary-visitor permission stamped or issued at the first Japanese port; carry it (or your passport) ashore.
Tax-free (refund system): From 1 November 2026 Japan moves to pay-full-price-then-refund: customs confirms export electronically at your last Japanese port, the store or its agent pays the refund.
Konbini: A Japanese convenience store (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart): ATMs that take foreign cards, clean toilets, good food, often free wifi.
Shinkansen: The bullet train. Relevant on port days only for Kobe–Kyoto and Shimizu–Tokyo style dashes; Smart-EX booking rejects many foreign Visa cards.
Typhoon approach: JMA's count of a typhoon coming within about 300 km of a region — the statistic behind Port of Japan's coast-by-coast risk figures (Okinawa 7.7 a year, Hokkaido 1.9).
Sakura front: The wave of cherry-blossom first-bloom dates that moves from Kyushu in late March to Hokkaido in May; JMA normals per port are on this site.
Kaisendon: A rice bowl topped with raw seafood — the signature breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market.
Matsuri: A festival. Only Nebuta (Aomori, 2–7 Aug) and Kanto (Akita, 3–6 Aug) justify building an itinerary around them.
Overnight call: A port stay that spans a night, usually Kobe or Yokohama — the only way Kyoto is honestly possible without a private car.
DIY or book: Port of Japan's one-verdict-per-port page: whether walking and public transport beat a paid tour at each port.
Private van: A per-vehicle guided car or minivan (roughly ¥60,000–120,000 for a day) usually shared through a roll call.
Osanbashi: Yokohama's downtown cruise pier; most "Tokyo" cruises actually sail from here.
Daikoku Pier: Yokohama's industrial pier for ships too tall for the Bay Bridge — shuttle-only.
Hinode Pier: Shimizu's walkable cruise berth, 8 minutes from the tuna market; the alternative Okitsu berth is shuttle-only.
Marine Port Kagoshima: Kagoshima's dedicated cruise berth; shuttle to the city is the norm.
Wa Rasse: Aomori's Nebuta museum on the waterfront, keeping parade floats lit all year.
Sakurajima ferry: Kagoshima's 15-minute car ferry to the volcano — step-free, runs like a bus.
Ship time vs local time: Ships sometimes keep a different clock from the port; the daily program's all-aboard is in ship time.
Norokko train: Kushiro's seasonal slow train into the marsh — reservation-only in season.
Ama: Japan's traditional free-diving women; hut lunches at Toba are reservation-only.

Plan your Japan cruiseThe 90-day timeline, in order Berth indexWalk-off, berth-dependent or shuttle — every port Your first Japanese portThe immigration morning, decoded