배·강 유람·유람선

Abashiri's sightseeing icebreaker pushes through the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk in winter. Whether the ice has arrived varies from day to day.

Sightseeing boats around Matsushima Bay weave among small pine-covered islands in about 50 minutes.

Water buses on the Sumida River run from Asakusa down toward Hamarikyu Gardens and Odaiba, passing under one bridge after another.

The Hakone Sightseeing Cruise “pirate ships” on Lake Ashi; on clear days Mt. Fuji appears beyond the lake. Covered by the Hakone Freepass.

The Hozugawa River boat ride takes about two hours through a gorge from Kameoka down to Arashiyama. In Arashiyama you can also ride a roofed pleasure boat. Reach Kameoka by the Sagano Line or the Sagano Scenic Railway.

A short cruise on the Dotonbori canal shows the neon-lined street from the water in about 20 minutes.

The ferry to Miyajima takes about 10 minutes, and some sailings pass close to the great torii standing in the sea.

Matsue's Horikawa boat tour circles the castle moat in about 50 minutes. The roof is lowered to pass under the low bridges.

Yanagawa's river punting: a boatman poles a flat “donko” boat through the canals of the old castle town. About 50 minutes from Tenjin in Fukuoka by Nishitetsu train.