11 Days in Chūgoku & Kyushu – Day 07 – Kurashiki – Bikan Historical Quarter – Traditional Boat Ride

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You shouldn’t leave Kurashiki until you’ve tried the traditional boat tour. That is, unless if you’re already also going to do the same thing on a larger scale at Yanagawa too. I would indeed be as part of my planned itinerary on Day 09, but since I was already Kurashiki and the boat ride fee was just a modest ¥500/SGD6.40, why not.

Each boat can sit six adults, excluding the boat man. On expected busy days, you’ll want to book your slots first as soon as you get to the Quarter, as the slots fill up real fast and a few hours wait seems common. Once you’ve got the slot you want, you can then take the in-between hours to explore the Quarter.

During busy hours, there seems to be two boats touring at the same time. They do a loop around the canal and in opposite directions I.e. there will be one specific point in the ride where both boats will go past each other, so you’ll want to have your camera ready if you’d like a specifically framed shot of that. The circuit takes about 20-25 minutes, and the boatman will provide commentary in Japanese.

¥500 for an adult ride. The afternoon slots on a fairly busy Saturday were sold out hours in advance. There was one seat left for the 3pm ride when I got my ticket at just past noon, so I took it – and spent the next three hours walking the length and breadth of the Quarter while waiting my turn.
Boat cam view LOL.
In a sense, the view you get from the boat isn’t dramatically different from what you get on the pavement, aside from it being low  angle, and less interrupted with other visitors. The sensory experience though is intoxicating – you feel being brought back to old Japan. And yes, the bamboo hat they make you wear adds to the experience!
The point where you get on and off the boat. The boat uncle on the right gave me a friendly wave and flashes the V sign just after he saw me taking this picture.
Another striking visual perspective you get on the ride – the other boat coming from the opposite direction and under the bridge.
The white walled shop houses that is characteristic of the Edo period.
The ride offers fun opportunities to people watch.
The commentary was in Japanese, but the boat man also managed a few English words to emphasise a few selected information points. He clearly loves his job!
Very picturesque.

The traditional boat tour is one of the highlight activities in Kurashiki. Given the fairly modest boat ride price and also the uniqueness of the experience, I recommend you include this activity in your itinerary. Remember to get your slots first as soon as you arrive!

Next post on Ohsahi House @ Bikan Historical Quarter!