Secret Japan: uncover the country's hidden gems on this luxe voyage

Gardens and temples dazzle on land, while on board, it's little luxuries that shine.

Sometimes it pays to sleep in. Our last full day aboard the Regent Seven Seas Explorer gets off to a slow start. We are not reaching port until later in the morning so we take things at a leisurely pace, not heading up to the sprawling breakfast buffet in La Veranda until about 8am.

Our timing is perfect. As we tuck into our pastries, my eyes drift to the window just as Mount Fuji looms into view, closer than I have ever seen it before. With not a cloud in sight, the sunlight sparkling off the snow, we have a simply incredible view of Japan's sacred peak. Our coffees are left to cool as we dash one floor up to the top deck to capture the moment on our cameras.

Read more on Explore:

Although our cruise ends with one of Japan's most iconic sights, until now we have been exploring a side of the country that most visitors don't see. Our two-week Sushi, Sake & Shimizu cruise, part of Regent Seven Seas' inaugural Japanese season, has focused on the southern half of this archipelago, skirting not just the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku but heading even further south to visit some of the smaller islands scattered like freckles across the face of the East China Sea. These sleepy sub-tropical islands feel a long way from the bright lights of big cities such as Tokyo or Osaka. Take the Nansei archipelago, which was awarded a World Heritage listing recently for its unique endemic plants and animals. We stop in at the lush island of Amami Oshima, where one excursion visits local silk makers who produce the Oshima Tsumugi silk unique to this area, which has over a million dots dyed onto every thread.

We opt instead for a visit to a remarkable museum. The Tanaka Isson Memorial Museum of Art is filled with luminous paintings of flowers, trees and birds. Tanaka's works are so exquisite, we are surprised never to have heard of this artist before.

"I hadn't heard of him either before I moved here," our guide Yoko, who moved to Amami Oshimi from Honshu, admits. Tanaka painted until his death in 1977 but this dreamy soul never quite found his way in life. He moved to Amami Oshima at the age of 50 and fell into a pattern of working in a silk factory for several months to earn the money to buy his materials, before focusing on painting until the money ran out and the cycle began again. He was unappreciated during his lifetime, but since his death his reputation has risen significantly - his work has even featured on a postage stamp.

More beauty lies in store a few days later when we reach Shikoku, the southernmost of Japan's main islands. We go ashore at Kochi to visit Chikurinji Temple - one of the 88 temples on Shikoku's famous 1200-kilometre pilgrimage route - and the neighbouring Makino Botanical Garden.

This magnificent six-hectare garden is one of the most diverse in the country, featuring more than 3000 plants from around the world. Our visit is perfectly timed as many of the trees are enveloped in clouds of blossom, particularly the beautiful cherry blossom garden. The garden's creator, Makino Tomitaro, was the father of Japanese botany who named over 1500 new species and subspecies. (His guide to Japanese botany is still an essential reference work.) He was also a man who struggled with practicalities, spending all his money on plants and botany books while his wife struggled to feed their 13 children.

We sign up for an excursion almost every day, taking full advantage of Regent Seven Seas' all-inclusive rates that extend to unlimited excursions as well as Wi-Fi, laundry, and food and drink. The downside of this approach is that it leaves little time to go exploring on the ship.

Although it has just 373 generously-sized suites - our suite has its own separate sitting area leading to the balcony - the Seven Seas Explorer has an impressive range of facilities including seven restaurants, a culinary teaching centre and an entire deck of outdoor options including racquetball and golf tees (the swimming pool is on a separate deck). And that's before we get to the theatre which hosts not just the background lecture series but also musical performances that feature extraordinary staging and choreography by Broadway professionals.

Even with so much on offer, we soon find our favourite spots. Afternoons we usually skip the formal afternoon tea in the Meridian Lounge, where background music is provided by a pianist, and head instead to the more intimate Coffee Corner, where the waiters soon bring us Irish coffees without our having to order.

Our favourite dining experience proves harder to nail down. Some nights we are sure it is Pacific Rim, the Asian restaurant with dramatic interiors and mood lighting which serves a tempura that may just be our favourite dish onboard. Other nights we can't help thinking that Prime 7 - where the Dover sole is filleted at your table and the whole lobster is removed from its shell before serving - might just have the edge. We are still undecided when our voyage comes to an end. Perhaps we'll have to sign up for another cruise just so we can pick the winner.

THE SHIP: Regent Seven Seas Explorer

THE SIZE: 373 suites, 746 guests, 224 metres long

GOOD TO KNOW: Jeans, T-shirts, sneakers and shorts are not considered appropriate wear after 6pm.

GET ON BOARD: The Seven Seas Explorer will be sailing in Japan in October 2023 and March-April 2024, with itineraries including the 11-night Adventure in Asia itinerary. From $11,670 per person.

EXPLORE MORE: rssc.com

The writer was a guest of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.