Yanagawa is a city in northern Fukuoka prefecture that has a network of canals which wind their way alongside the streets. These canals are still used for cargo transport and passenger tours that are similar to the Gondola rides of Venice.
In early January, my boyfriend and I took a day trip to Yanagawa to go on the Kotatsu Bune Tour (“Kotatsu-boat”). A kotatsu is a type of low table with a flat heater on its underside and a quilt around its edges that you can sit under to help keep your legs and torso warm during the winter months. Through the end of February, there will be kotatsu on the tour boats of Yanagawa to help keep passengers cozy during their ride.
The tour is conducted entirely in Japanese, but you may find that the ticket agents can give you some basic information about the ride route in English. Maps and transportation information are also available in either Japanese or English at the ticketing counter. There is a free shuttle that will take you back to the boat launch from the end of the route, but this shuttle does not run after about 4:30 PM. To avoid this issue you can either plan to take a tour earlier in the day, or be prepared to walk about forty minutes back the route you travelled, take a taxi back to the station for about ¥1,200, or return by bus. A bus ride will be a little over ¥200 a ticket, and the tour ticket agent can provide you with the route number and instructions on how to get to the bus stop nearest the tour’s end.
I speak enough Japanese that I was able to understand just about everything on the tour (I think the only thing I didn’t understand was a poem that our guide recited), but the guide spoke very rapidly and used a large enough vocabulary that I think beginners most likely won’t get much out of the spoken part of the tour. I would recommend that you be prepared to just enjoy the ride if you are below about an N4 level of Japanese comprehension. I tried to translate for my boyfriend, but the guide spoke almost without any pauses, so it was extremely difficult to translate much at all! You might encounter the same issue if you are a beginner who is hoping to get some language assistance from a friend. However, even if you speak no Japanese at all, I think you will have a good time!
The guide will sing songs, talk about local history and festivals, point out local landmarks and plant life, and also give you some important information— such as when to duck! Some of the bridges you will pass under are quite low. The lower and narrower the bridge, the older it is.
Early on in the tour, the boat will pass by a camera and you will be given a number for your tour group after the photo has been snapped. Towards the end of the ride there will be an opportunity to buy the souvenir photo from your tour for ¥1,300 (including shipping). Fill in your address and information on the form that’s passed around, and they will send the picture to you at a later date. Make sure to write down the correct group number!! We didn’t opt for the photo, so I don’t personally know how they turn out or how long they take to arrive, but I think this would be a great idea if you go with a bigger group of friends.
About halfway along the route, the boat will stop at a riverside shop where you can purchase hot drinks for a few hundred yen without even having to leave the warmth of the kotatsu. The selection includes coffee, cocoa, and two varieties of warmed sake.
After the tour ends, be sure to look around some of the shops before you head back to the station. One of the especially charming souvenir stands is run by a woman who lets homeless cats sleep in her shop to help them keep warm. They are quite tame as a consequence, and there are plenty of them to pet. You can also pick up some omiyage while you are visiting her furry companions. She sells a variety of simple snacks in various amounts that are quite inexpensive. I bought some cookies that were branded with an image of a boat ride to take back to my office, and they were a big hit.
Before you leave Yanagawa, don’t forget to try some of the local specialty: unagi (eel). I LOVE unagi, but unfortunately I didn’t try any of Yanagawa’s unagi dishes before I left because we had decided to go in for some tempura earlier in the day. The office staff I work with was very surprised I took such a long trip and didn’t eat the local specialty. We’ll have to go again some time and try it out! However, we did make a stop at a café before heading home: Rabista, an art latte cafe decorated with rabbit motifs that is very close to the station. (Rabbit + barista = Rabista). They have a variety of drinks and desserts including things like pancakes and ice cream, and they specialize in cute latte art. My boyfriend was given a rabbit while I was treated to a content cat complete with a bell on its collar.
The Kotatsu-bune tour runs until February 28th this year, but tours sans kotatsu run the rest of the year. I intend to return in spring or summer to see how things look once the trees and flowers are in bloom. If you’re interested in a fun day trip I highly recommend heading to Yanagawa and making the tour one of your stops, especially if you have a group of friends you can go with or have been looking for a creative Valentine’s Day date.
Kotatsu Bune Tours operate daily and run every half hour from 9 AM to 5 PM through Saturday, February 28th. Tickets are ¥1,600 for adults and ¥800 for children ages 5-12.
Yanagawa is about a 45 minute ride from Fukuoka. To get there, you will need to take the Omuta line from Nishitetsu-Fukuoka Tenjin station to Nishitetsu-Yanagawa station. It will be about ¥1700 round trip, but when you get off you are only about three minute walk from the boat launch.
For more information about the tour you can visit the Yanagawa Kawakudari website. Happy sailing!
jisaboke 
Wonderful Cruise and beautiful photos!
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