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Yakatabune dinner cruise: how to book it
Book here, book through the operator, or see the bay another way: how the Shinagawa yakatabune dinner cruise works, checked against Funasei's own pages.
See the Yakatabune dinner cruise on GetYourGuide ↗Quick answer
This is a yakatabune dinner cruise from the Funasei pier in Shinagawa: about two and a half to three hours on Tokyo Bay and the Sumida River, a seated Japanese dinner and unlimited drinks. You pick a date in the calendar, and the departure time is confirmed by email afterwards. Transport to the pier is not included. It suits couples and small groups who want the skyline from the water, and it does not suit guests with dietary restrictions.
Three ways to see Tokyo Bay from the water
| On GetYourGuide | Funasei via H.I.S. | Water bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You get | Cruise, dinner, drinks | Same boats, own terms | A scheduled boat ride |
| Booking | Calendar, in English | Email to H.I.S. | Operator's timetable |
| Cancelling | Free to 11 days before | Operator's fee schedule | Operator's terms |
| Best for | Booking in English | Upgrades and groups | The view alone |
What this booking is
The booking is a dinner cruise on a traditional yakatabune, a roofed Japanese boat, leaving from the Funasei pier in Shinagawa. H.I.S. is the activity provider. The cruise, a Japanese dinner and unlimited drinks are included. Transport is not, so you get yourself to the pier. A one-way hotel pick-up can be added for hotels inside Tokyo's 23 wards. The booking page lists a duration of about three hours, while the operator's own courses run about two and a half hours on the water, so check-in plus the cruise fills most of an evening.
- Included: the cruise, a seated Japanese dinner, unlimited drinks
- Drinks: beer, shochu, sake, wine, whiskey, plum liqueur and soft drinks
- Not included: transport to or from the pier
- Optional: one-way hotel pick-up, Japanese-speaking drivers only
Book here, book direct, or go elsewhere
Funasei runs the pier and the boats. Its Japanese site takes bookings by phone, and its English page sends foreign visitors to H.I.S. by email, quoting its own cancellation fees. Book through the calendar here if you want to choose a date, see the terms before you commit, and, booked through GetYourGuide, cancel free up to 11 days before. Email H.I.S. if you want to ask about a meal upgrade, which the operator's English page mentions, or about taking a whole boat for a large party. If you only want the view, skip the dinner entirely.
How the evening runs
Check in at the pier about 30 minutes before departure. The boat then loops around the bay while dinner is served, and the final departure time reaches you by email a few days before your date. Both the booking and the operator describe the meal the same way: sashimi on a boat-shaped platter, tempura cooked on board, a seasonal rice dish, noodles and dessert, with a menu that changes by season. Every boat has a deck, so you can eat inside and go outside for the views.
The route, and why you can't pick it
Funasei publishes several loops. Its basic course spends time at Odaiba, then goes up the Sumida River for a view of the Skytree. A Skytree-focused loop is run for shared boats only, and a limited-period cherry-blossom course goes up the Sumida to Sakura Bridge. The booking does not let you choose between them, and says the route is subject to change. It lists Tokyo Bay, the Sumida River, the Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba and the Skytree as the usual sights. Treat the blossom course as a bonus, not a promise.
Read next: The Yakatabune route: Rainbow Bridge, the Sumida, Odaiba and the Skytree
What you actually see
The Rainbow Bridge was completed in 1993, and lamps on its cables are lit in three colours each night. The Tokyo Skytree stands 634 metres tall, the tallest tower in Japan, and alternates between two lighting patterns on different days. Odaiba is an artificial island that began as sea forts in the 1850s and was redeveloped as a leisure district. From the water you see all three as a moving skyline, which no walkway or viewing deck quite repeats.
Seating and sharing a table
You do not choose the boat or the table. Depending on the boat, guests sit at low tables over a sunken floor, which lets you hang your legs down, and the operator says only one boat in its fleet has tables with chairs. Which type runs is decided on the day. The booking says you may share a table with other guests, so treat the dinner as a social evening, and not a private one. Funasei's own site lists whole-boat charters separately for large groups.
Food, drink and dietary limits
Dinner is a set Japanese meal, not a menu to choose from, and the booking says it cannot be catered for dietary requirements. That rules out vegetarian, allergy-friendly and seafood-free versions. A special meal exists for children aged 3 to 5. The drinks are unlimited, so pace yourself over a long evening. Funasei's English page lists karaoke on its classic cruise, but the booking here does not mention it, so do not count on it.
Read next: The yakatabune menu: what is on the table
Where the yakatabune comes from
Yakatabune have been used since the Heian period, and the shogun's boats from then through the Edo period were lavishly decorated. Japanese sources trace the roofed boat to aristocrats' pleasure outings around the 9th century. The Edo authorities later limited the size and decoration of boats, and it was the smaller boats owned by boat inns and restaurants that survived. Boats on the Sumida declined in the mid-20th century after flood embankments went up and the water was polluted, and revived from the late 1970s. Newer boats are larger and have sky decks.
Other ways to see the same view
The Tokyo Mizube Line is a public water bus run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association on the Sumida and Arakawa rivers, with routes to Odaiba Seaside Park. Check its own timetable before you plan around it. The Rainbow Bridge has pedestrian walkways on both sides of its lower deck. Odaiba's waterfront is one of the few man-made shores in Tokyo Bay that is open to the public. None of these gives you a seated dinner on the water, which is what the cruise sells.
Choosing a date and cancelling
Pick your date in the calendar, then wait for the confirmed departure time, which arrives by email a few days before. Because the time varies by day and season, avoid stacking anything tight earlier that day. Booked through GetYourGuide, the cruise can be cancelled free up to 11 days before. Funasei's own English page instead lists cancellation fees that rise as the date nears, and the booking says the operator may cancel for an earthquake, tsunami, storm or other special circumstances, in which case travellers receive a full refund. Read the terms for your date before paying, because they are the booking's terms, not ours.
Who this isn't for
Skip it if you have dietary restrictions, because the dinner cannot be adapted. Skip it if you cannot sit at floor level with your shoes off, since some boats have no chairs. It is a poor fit if you need a fixed departure time weeks ahead, because the time is confirmed only a few days before. Large parties wanting a whole boat should ask the operator directly. And if you only want a daytime view of the bay, a water bus or a walk over the Rainbow Bridge fits better.
Frequently asked questions
Is the yakatabune dinner cruise good for a first visit to Tokyo?
It suits you if you want a seated Japanese dinner and the skyline from the water in one evening. It does not suit guests who need a dietary adaptation or cannot sit at floor level. For the view alone, a water bus or the Rainbow Bridge walkways are alternatives.
How long is the cruise?
Plan on about two and a half to three hours on the water, plus check-in about 30 minutes before departure. Funasei describes its courses as roughly two and a half to two and three-quarter hours, and the exact length depends on the route that runs on your date.
Can I book directly with Funasei instead?
Funasei's Japanese site takes bookings by phone, and its English page tells foreign visitors to email H.I.S. to book. H.I.S. is the activity provider named on this booking. Book direct if you want to ask about meal upgrades or a whole-boat charter.
Are drinks included?
Yes. Unlimited beer, shochu, Japanese sake, wine, whiskey, plum liqueur and soft drinks are listed as included in the booking. Funasei's own drink list agrees, with the same categories.
Can the dinner be vegetarian?
No. The booking states that the dinner cannot be catered for dietary requirements, and the menu is built around sashimi and tempura. If you have a restriction or an allergy, this cruise is not the right choice.
Is the hotel pick-up worth adding?
It helps if your hotel has a front desk inside Tokyo's 23 wards and you want a ride to the pier. Drivers speak only Japanese, and a missed pick-up window means the service is forfeited. Otherwise the pier can be reached on foot from Shinagawa Station.
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