Tokyo Bay Yakatabune Dinner Cruise with Japanese Show

Etchujima Pier and the lower Sumida River

The cruise starts at Etchujima Pier on the Sumida River in Koto City, a quiet waterside district in the east of central Tokyo, close to where the river meets the bay. Etchujima grew up on reclaimed land in the Edo period and still has a maritime feel, with canals, warehouses converted into studios and the old river embankments of the shogun's capital.

If you are wondering how to get to Etchujima Pier, take the JR Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station to Etchujima Station, only a few minutes away, then walk a short distance to the riverside; Monzen-Nakacho on the Tozai and Oedo lines is another option. Plan to arrive around 15 to 20 minutes before departure so you can check in, leave your shoes at the entrance and settle at your low table before the houseboat casts off.

The yakatabune tradition of Edo

Yakatabune are flat wooden pleasure boats with a house-like roof, paper lanterns along the eaves and tatami-matted cabins. They became popular around four centuries ago, when the merchants and samurai of Edo, as Tokyo was then called, hired them to dine, play music and watch fireworks on the Sumida River on summer evenings. The famous Sumida River fireworks began in the eighteenth century, and yakatabune have been part of the scene ever since.

Today's boats keep that atmosphere with lanterns, low tables and large windows, while adding air conditioning and modern comforts. A yakatabune cruise in Tokyo is one of the most authentic ways to experience the old merchant culture of the city, and it is especially popular for celebrations and evenings out with friends and family.

Tokyo Bay, Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge

From the river mouth the boat heads into Tokyo Bay towards Odaiba, an artificial island whose name recalls the cannon batteries built offshore in the 1850s to defend the city from foreign warships. Two of those forts survive as small wooded islands, and around them rose a modern district of shopping centres, museums, seaside parks and a replica of the Statue of Liberty facing the city.

The highlight is the Rainbow Bridge, the white suspension bridge opened in 1993 that links central Tokyo with Odaiba and glows with lights after dark. From the open upper deck you see the bridge, the Tokyo Tower and the skyscrapers of Shiodome and Shinagawa reflected on the water. Is a Tokyo Bay night cruise worth it? For many travellers this panorama is the most memorable view of the city.

Sukiyaki dinner and the live shamisen show

Dinner on board is sukiyaki, one of Japan's best-loved hot-pot dishes: thin slices of beef, tofu, leeks, mushrooms and greens simmered at your table in a sweet soy-based broth, traditionally dipped in beaten egg before eating. Pork or vegetarian sukiyaki can be prepared if you tell us at least three days before the cruise, and soft drinks are unlimited throughout the evening.

During the cruise a performer plays the shamisen, a three-stringed lute with a long neck and a square body covered with skin, struck with a large plectrum. Its percussive, expressive sound accompanied kabuki theatre and folk songs in the Edo period, so hearing it live on a traditional houseboat completes the picture. Your English-speaking guide explains the music, the dishes and the sights as you sail.

Cherry blossom cruises and the Tokyo Tower option

In spring, special cherry blossom options follow the Sumida River upstream under the Eitai, Sumidagawa-Ohashi, Shin-Ohashi and Sakurabashi bridges, weather permitting, when the riverbanks are lined with pink blossom. The best time to visit Tokyo for cherry blossom is usually late March to early April, and these sailings sell quickly; one daytime cherry blossom option replaces dinner with a tea ceremony and Japanese sweets.

Another option adds a ticket for the Tokyo Tower Main Deck at 150 metres, handed to you on board and valid for six months, so you can visit the tower on another day; transport to the tower is not included. Tokyo Tower, completed in 1958 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower, remains one of the city's favourite viewpoints and is easy to reach by subway.