Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

The Traditional Option

Hamadamaru - Photo courtesy of Hamadamaru

Fukagawa Fujimi - Photo courtesy of Fukagawa Fujimi

Yakatabune pleasure boats have been plying the rivers of Tokyo for centuries, and the basic format hasn’t changed much: long tables, floor seating, slap-up meals and a lot of booze. While group bookings are usually the only way to go, a few companies make concessions for couples and even solitary drinkers. Hamadamaru has affordably priced plans for two, starting from ¥5,980 per head on weekdays for a Western-style “Bistro Yakatabune” course dinner and all-you-can-drink beer, shochu and soft drinks. Another option is the shoka no kaori (literally, “the scent of early summer”) course, available on weekends during May and June, which includes sashimi, tempura and roast beef—oh, and the all-important nomihodai (¥8,925). The boat departs from Kita-Senju and follows the Sumida River down to Odaiba and back. Another operator, Fujimi Fukagawa, leaves from near Monzen-Nakacho station, heading down to Odaiba then up the Sumida River before looping back and returning to port. If you can’t drum up the requisite group of 15 people, Hato Bus runs “Edo Elegance Yakatabune Cruise” tours on Saturdays and Sundays for individual revelers, with bus pick-up from Hamamatsucho followed by a ride on the Fujimi. The ¥14,000 price tag gets you a lavish course meal featuring sashimi and tempura, plus all the beer, nihonshu, shochu and wine you want.

Hamadamaru: call 03-3881-2314 for reservations (Japanese). www.hamadamaru.com
Fujimi Fukagawa: call Hato Bus on 03-3435-6081 for reservations. www.hatobus.com/en

The Modern Option

Jicoo - Photo courtesy of Jicoo

Tokyo Living Cruise - Photo by Momoko Ogaki

When it first hit the waves in 2004, anime artist Leiji Matsumoto’s Himiko looked like it had been beamed down from another planet. It still does, but now it’s a planet that also has alcohol. In 2006, the Himiko began to moonlight as Jicoo, Tokyo’s most stylish floating bar. It heads out into Tokyo Bay on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, shuttling between Hinode Pier and Odaiba Seaside Park from 8-10:30pm. A boarding pass costs ¥2,500, and you’re free to stay on for as long as you like. Drinks start at ¥600 for a beer, running up to ¥1,500 for the glass of champagne that the surroundings seem to demand, while musical offerings run the gamut from techno DJs to live steel drumming. Tokyo Living Cruise provides a more intimate experience that’s probably the closest you’ll get to a private yacht party without, er, actually having a private yacht. Ninety-minute DJ and live music events are held sporadically throughout the summer, leaving from near Toyosu station—check the website for details. Girls Bar Navy, meanwhile, is a waterborne hostess club that sails from Shin-Kiba and Odaiba each evening, staffed by a bevy of nautical babes in white miniskirts. We’ll spare you the mizuwari puns.

Jicoo: www.jicoofloatingbar.com
Tokyo Living Cruise: www.tokyolivingcruise.com
Girls Bar Navy: www.g-navy.com