Yanagawa
· Yanagawa is a small city in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, near Kumamoto and Saga Prefectures
· It’s famous for its canals and boat rides
· One of the foods its known for is unagi
In the southern part of Fukuoka prefecture, on the middle of Kyushu island is Yanagawa. It’s not a major destination for most tourists, however it does feature a unique canal boating experience that I haven’t had anywhere else in Japan.
I’ve visited the area twice, once while I was living in Fukuoka in 2011 and once when I went for a trip in the late spring of 2022.
How to get there
Yanagawa is relatively easy to get to from Fukuoka City. You can catch the Nishitetsu-Tenjin-Omuta Line from Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station in Tenjin to Nishitetsu-Yanagawa Station.
About Yanagawa
Yanagawa is a small city of just over 70,000. It’s located near Kumamoto and Saga prefectures, near the bottom of Fukuoka prefecture.
The city is most known for its canals. It was originally constructed in the mid-16th century by the Kamachi clan, and the canals were used for a castle. Since then, they’ve been maintained and the present city has been built around it.
Hakushu Festival and Parade on Water
A man steers a boat under lanterns at the Hakushu Festival and Parade on Water
I was fortunate that the first time I visited Yanagawa was being able to take part in their major festival: Hakushu Festival and Parade on Water.
A well known poet in the Meiji Era, Kitahara Hakushu, was born in Yanagawa, and the city comes alive for this festival each November that commemorates his death.
About 130 boats travel through the canals, passing by various musical performances, lanterns and decorations until arriving in an area to watch fireworks.
A musical performance at the Hakushu Festival and Parade on Water
I was lucky to get to ride one of the boats then, drink and eat foods like oden.
Even without the festival, if you’re traveling in Fukuoka, it might be a fun experience to head down for a canal boat ride.
If you’d like to see what it’s like normally, check out my video at the 5:04 mark.
Passing a choir at the Hakushu Festival and Parade on Water
Wakamatsuya
Unagi is famous in Yanagawa, but it’s unique here as it’s cooked differently from the typical method. It's steamed together with rice in a wooden box, resulting in a denser meal that’s full of flavor.
Wakamatsuya is one of the famous restaurants that serve this, and it made for a perfect stop after our ride through the canals.
le cafe patisserie Sakura
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A unique experience boating through canals in Fukuoka that date back hundreds of years.