Departing from Muroran, you'll board your comfortable motorcoach for a scenic journey through rolling, forested countryside to the famed Noboribetsu area. Be prepared to step back in time and experience some living history.

Once you arrive at Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura theme park, it's like you are in Japan during the Edo Period, 1603 through 1867, when the warrior class broke away from the imperial court, and city life and the merchant class played a vital role.

You'll have free time to explore the recreations of traditional Japanese structures, including Ninja houses and a theater, enjoy traditional games and activities, see street performances and more. You'll be among Ninjas, the mysterious figures whose basic function was to carry out covert operations for their feudal lords. Meet the beautiful Oiran courtesans who excelled at various arts including poetry, calligraphy, tea ceremony and music. They were of such high class, that only the samurai and the rich could afford their charms. These processions capture the spectacle and elegance of the Edo pleasure quarters.

After your Edo experience, you'll return to your motorcoach for the short trip to Jigokudani. Lying along the fabled "Rim of Fire," it's one of several areas of intense volcanic activity. You get to explore this "Valley of Hell," during a 20 minute guided walk that brings you to the 1,476-foot crater and its surrounding fumaroles and mineral springs. The hot springs are famous, supplying the nearby Noboribetsu Resort.

Your adventure ends as you re-board your motorcoach for the relaxing and scenic ride back to present-day Muroran and your ship.