Tokyo Yakatabune Pleasure Boat Company Resumes Service

Above, a yakatabune pleasure boat docked on the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Taking a yakatabune pleasure dinner boat cruise in Tokyo is one thing that I haven't done yet. I have seen several boats docked along the Sumida River over the years. Maybe I'll do so the next time I go to Japan

Fortunately, others can do so now that coronavirus restrictions are being lifted in Japan.

The Japan Times reported:

A Tokyo yakatabune pleasure boat operator has resumed service after halting operations in mid-January due to a coronavirus outbreak among customers and employees. 

Funasei Ltd. had been hit by negative rumors and comments, as well as numerous reservation cancellations, because it was seen as a spreader of the then largely unknown disease. 

“Now we’ll look ahead to keep the torch of tradition burning,” said manager Yoko Ito, 67. 

On Thursday evening, Ito, clad in a yellowish green kimono, and other Funasei employees were busy cleaning and sanitizing a roofed pleasure boat reserved for about 10 customers ahead of their arrival. 

Social distancing measures were fully in place, with up to four customers accepted for each table for eight. Ventilation and disinfection were conducted frequently. 

That day, the boat sailed alone on the Sumida River and near the Odaiba waterfront area in Tokyo Bay.

To read more, go here.

Tokyo and Kagoshima

Above, a view of Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge from a Tokyo Bay tour boat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo is naturally the big stop for most visitors to Japan since it is the primary "gateway" into the country with its two airports: Narita Airport and Haneda Airport.

There is much to see and do in Tokyo. But visitors should also look into other places in Japan.

That is the subject of an article in The Japan Times, which features both Tokyo and Kagoshima (which is two hours away in Kyushu by plane).

They begin with Tokyo:

One of the most vibrant cities in the world, Tokyo is typically the first stop for most travelers in Japan. However, with so much to see and do, it can be hard to know where to start. 

A great way to get a glimpse of the main landmarks, especially if pushed for time, is to take the two-story open-deck Sky Bus Tokyo. The Odaiba night course, leaving from the Marunouchi South Gate of Tokyo Station, is particularly popular. It travels past Tokyo Tower and several iconic buildings before arriving in the ultramodern entertainment district of Odaiba. 

Going beyond the bright lights and skyscrapers, Tokyo also has a variety of small yet intriguing neighborhoods with colorful shotengai (traditional shopping arcades). A great example is Jizo shopping street in Sugamo, an area known as “Grandma’s Harajuku.” While there, a visit to Soba Ohashiya, a restaurant known for its nutritious buckwheat noodles, is recommended. Another highlight is Koganji Temple which has the Togenuki Jizo statue, said to heal ailments when washed.

And, on Kagoshima, they begin with:

Following a hectic schedule taking in the sights of the capital, it’s then nice to escape from the hustle-and-bustle of city life to somewhere with a more serene atmosphere. That’s something Kagoshima provides. A two-hour flight from Tokyo, the prefecture is famed for Sakurajima, a composite active volcano located near an inhabited town.

To read more, go here. 

Take A Yakatabune Dinner Cruise On Tokyo Bay

Above, a yakatabune dinner cruise boat moored on the Sumida River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those interested in Japanese culture and want to experience in one activity while in Tokyo, the following may just be your cup of tea.

Japan Visitor has an article on traditional yakatabune dinner cruises on Tokyo Bay.

They begin with:

A cruise around Tokyo Bay is a great way to appreciate a face of Tokyo you would never otherwise get to see. 

Tokyo Bay was once the capital's raison d'etre, and has been a decisive factor in the capital's history. Now, with trains and planes having largely replaced oceangoing, the sea that laps at the capital might not feature much in the weekday workaday lives of Tokyoites. 

Yet Tokyo's denizens are still keenly aware of the charms of the nearby ocean, and houseboats (yakatabune, ("ya-ka-ta-BOO-nay") have been a genteel recreational tradition here on the bay for centuries. 

The yakatabune is less what the average tourist would think of as a "houseboat" than a traditional recreational vessel, with good food being the main theme of the recreation, supplemented by onboard entertainment. 

Yakatabune were originally the preserve of the very wealthy, but any tourist to Tokyo can now enjoy this elegant, memorable, on-the-water pastime for no more than the price of a good night out spent anywhere else.

To read more, go here. 

Cruise Tokyo On A Traditional Yakatabune

Above, a yakatabune boat on the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Taking a dinner cruise on a yakatabune party boat in Tokyo is one thing that I have not done as yet. The opportunity (or it just didn't cross my mind while there). Perhaps on my next trip to Japan I'll try one out.

What's a yakatabune boat?

An article in Japan Today explains:

TOKYO - So, you’re exploring Tokyo on a humid summer day, but looking for a way to do it without the crowded streets, packed trains and sweaty bodies. Now, picture yourself enjoying sashimi and tempura while downing a few cold beers. Oh, and you’re barefoot, too. On a boat. In the middle of Tokyo Bay. Welcome to yakatabune (houseboat) cruising, one of the highlights of summer. 

If you’re new to these all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink waterway cruises, this guide has everything you need to book the best tour for you based on location, price, group type, season and more.

To read more, go here.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

Above, the USS Missouri docked at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is home to the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), the ship where Japan signed the documents of surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Compared to the USS Arizona, the USS Missouri is a newer warship.

According to the Battleship Missouri Memorial website:

Born in the midst of World War II, the shipyard workers at Brooklyn’s New York Navy Yard constructed the battleship in time for her launch on January 29, 1944 and commissioning as the USS Missouri on June 11, 1944 with Capt. William M. Callaghan in command.

Two daily tours of the USS Missouri are offered daily:

The Battleship Missouri Memorial offers two daily tours with much more to explore on your own. The main tour is included in your General Admission ticket and takes you to the exact spot where WWII ended and is fully ADA accessible. The second is called "The Heart of the Missouri" tour and takes you deep inside the inner workings of the ship including the engine rooms and gun turrets. This tour is not ADA accessible and is not open to children under 10.

There were concerns about having the Missouri docked near the Arizona.

Above, the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to Wikipedia:

Originally, the decision to move Missouri to Pearl Harbor was met with some resistance. The National Park Service expressed concern that the battleship, whose name has become synonymous with the end of World War II, would overshadow the battleship Arizona, whose dramatic explosion and subsequent sinking on 7 December 1941 has since become synonymous with the attack on Pearl Harbor. To help guard against this impression Missouri was placed well back from and facing the Arizona Memorial, so that those participating in military ceremonies on Missouri's aft decks would not have sight of the Arizona Memorial. The decision to have Missouri's bow face the Arizona Memorial was intended to convey that Missouri watches over the remains of Arizona so that those interred within Arizona's hull may rest in peace.

For more information on visiting the Battleship Missouri Memorial, go here. 

Efforts To Promote Tokyo Sightseeing Boat Cruises To Foreign Visitors Started

Above, the Hotaluna water bus, designed by manga and anime artist Leiji Matsumoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is one way to both enjoy the sights of Tokyo and, at the same time, relax. That way is to take a cruise down one of Tokyo's waterways and Tokyo Bay. Unfortunately, not too many foreign visitors are aware of this.

I have taken a cruise down the Sumida River to Tokyo Bay twice. The first time was in 2005 and then ten years later when Denise, Aiden and I went to Japan last October. Each cruise was relaxing and enjoyable. For kaiju fans, this is one way to see some locations used in various Japanese monster movies such as Tokyo Tower, Odaiba, the Rainbow Bridge and the Kachidoki Bridge.

Above, Denise and Aiden heading back to Asakusa on the Sumida River boat last October. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Passenger Boat Association is trying to get tour boat operators to promote their services to foreign visitors.

The Japan Times reported:

A trip to Tokyo does not necessarily mean elbowing your way through crowds. You can get fine views of the capital from a boat on the bay. 

With a drink or a meal, a short cruise is relaxing way to tour, and it shows parts of Tokyo and its history that cannot be seen from a sidewalk or a bus. 

Operators are keen to tap the steady flow of foreign tourists but bemoan the lack of information reaching them. 

At a recent gathering of industry representatives, some remarked about this missed opportunity, calling for greater efforts to publicize the many cruise options available to tourists. 

The Japan Passenger Boat Association, which represents cruise line operators, invited travel agents for a trip around Tokyo Bay on Feb. 4 to show them what is on offer and what clients can expect to see.

Above, the Kachidoki Bridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I heartily recommend a cruise down the Sumida River to Tokyo Bay from Asakusa.

To read more, go here.

Rainbow Bridge Offers Vistas of Old and New Tokyo

Above, the Rainbow Bridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge is best-known to kaiju fans when it was featured in Godzilla x Megaguirus (2001). It spans across Tokyo Bay to Odaiba.

There is another aspect to the bridge: its walkways.

According to Kyodo News:

The Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay is a symbol of the Japanese capital, but it is less known that the walkways of the suspension bridge offer a great view of the bay fringed by skyscrapers, including an island fortress built in the 19th century to counter Americans forcing Japan to open up. 

The bridge has a two-deck structure and the walkways are on the lower deck, along with the Yurikamome unmanned train system. The upper deck carries a portion of the Shuto Expressway. 

Shibaura Anchorage, about five minutes' walk from Shibaura Futo Station on Yurikamome, is the entrance to the walkways, which are free of charge and open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. between April and October and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between November and March.

To read more, go here. 

5.2 Earthquake Rattles Tokyo

Above, a view of Tokyo Bay and Odaiba from Mori Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As if Japan hasn't had enough problems with this week's typhoon-related flooding, an earthquake has struck the Tokyo metropolitan area.

According to the Associated Press:

TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake shook Tokyo early Saturday morning, knocking books from shelves, but authorities said there was no risk of a tsunami. 

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. 

The magnitude-5.2 earthquake was 57 kilometers deep and was centered in Tokyo Bay, near Haneda Airport, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It struck at 5:49 a.m.
Subway and train service was briefly interrupted for safety checks. 

The agency warned that the quake could cause landslides following recent heavy rains.

It has been reported by the Asahi Shimbun that the quake injured 13 people. 

Party Boating In Tokyo Bay

Above, yakatabune boats moored at Asakusa on
 the Sumida River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For a different experience in viewing Tokyo, why not take a dinner cruise in Tokyo Bay aboard a yakatabune party boat?

According to Gaijinpot.com:

Nothing screams summer louder than being out at sea with a bunch of lads and lassies. The wind blowing across your face, while skyscrapers light up in the distance. This the Tokyo Bay Nouryousen! Or roughly in English: Evening Boat Cruise. 

If you’re looking for a unique experience to check off your summertime bucket list, why not see Tokyo from a different perspective? The perspective a ship floating off into the sunset as fireworks light up the night sky in the distance.

To read more, go here.

A Clean-Up Job Is Coming For Tokyo Bay

Above, a view of Tokyo Bay from Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If science-fiction were real life, all Japan would have to do to kill off most organisms in Tokyo Bay would be to drop an oxygen destroyer into the water. Still, the garbage that has accumulated over the years would have to be removed conventionally.

But being that it isn't, the Japan government is planning to spend ¥3.6 billion to clean up Tokyo Bay in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

The Environment Ministry plans to clean up the water of Tokyo Bay as part of efforts to promote Japan’s environmental technology and natural scenery ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

The ministry included about ¥3.6 billion in its 2015 budgetary request for measures to help put on an Olympics that is sensitive to environmental problems. 

Tokyo Bay is planned to be used for the swimming leg of triathlons at the Olympics, but the quality of the water declines during the summer. 

To read the full story, go here.