guntû was specifically designed for the year-round calm of the Seto Inland Sea, where it mostly sails in waters that are less affected by waves and wind. This five-day voyage extends its usual range to the west beyond Kaminoseki, as far as the waters off Hofu in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Here the Mori clan, once minor lords in Aki Province, rose to become rulers of a sprawling domain and the dominant power in the Chugoku region. On this voyage, guests will visit sites connected to the Mori clan together with Nobutaka Akiyama, professor emeritus at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima, who is an expert on the region’s history and the Mori clan’s role during Japan’s 16th century civil wars.
The route shares episodes from this chapter of Setouchi history that are still remembered today, through walks on Miyajima, where brilliant tactics outwitted a much larger army; at Hofu, where the Mori clan secured its domain; and on Futagamijima, a base of the Mori-allied Futagami clan.