144 hour visa exemption

Thank you for answering my previous question re cruise from Hong Kong to Japan.
The route is Hong Kong, Taipei Taiwan, Okinawa Shanghai Nagasaki Kobe Shimizu and Tokyo. Which means I am not able to use the 144 hour waiver for China.
If I were to miss out the port of Okinawa and stay on board the cruise ship would I be able to enter Shanghai on 144 hour free transit as I have not disembarked into Japan yet? So my countries would be Hong Kong Taiwan Shanghai and Japan would this work?
Thanks in advance. Fingers crossed.