Yanagawa Donko-bune River Cruise

柳川川下り

Willow-lined canals by punt, poled by a boatman

Hours

Hours differ by boarding point and season (check on site)

Tickets

Adults roughly 1,700-2,200 yen, children 850-1,100 yen, depending on operator

Address

Boarding points around Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station, Yanagawa

In Yanagawa, where castle moats and canals tangle like a web, you board a small flat boat called a donko-bune and drift as the boatman poles it along. Everyone ducks under the low bridges, and the boatman often sings a line or two. The ride takes about an hour; afterwards the local custom is lunch of steamed eel on rice, seiro-mushi. An easy day trip from Hakata.