Take a sightseeing boat on the Hozu-gawa river. Cruise ships use the traditional style, tipped boats flat which is driven by a boatman who guides the boat with oars and bamboo sticks. The boats take about two hours to leisurely walk down the river and are a relaxing way to see the natural scenery from a largely undeveloped ravine. River cruises are often combined with trips on the Sagano Railroad. The Hozugawa River was originally used to transport logs that were used to build many famous temples and palaces in Kyoto and Osaka.
During the Edo Period, rivers were cleared of obstructions so that ships carrying grain, firewood and other cargo could safely navigate. Trains and trucks eventually make river transportation obsolete, and the operation stopped after several hundred years of use. However, the boat was brought back and eventually became popular as a tourist attraction. The Hozu-gawa River is a world-famous river for water transportation. After getting on the boat, you will experience a 16 kilometer journey from Tanba-Kameoka to Arashiyama in Kyoto. More than 300,000 tourists annually ride a boat across the river, enjoying the amazing roar of the water from the Hozu-gawa river.
Boat drivers are very skilled and agile in guiding ships, they use poles, rudders, and oars because they make their way between large rocks and in the midst of extraordinary whitewater on the river. Usually it takes three boatmen to handle one boat, but the number varies, four or five, depending on the level of wind and water. The Hozu-gawa River has various kinds of seasonal changes with whitewater and mirror splashes such as deep pools. In spring, cherry petals fall like snowflakes. Azaleas bloom on the rocks while the strange croaking of sculpin fish makes a pleasant cool atmosphere in summer. There are brightly colored leaves in autumn, while in winter the river is covered in snow. All of that you can enjoy in countless variations of the scenery on the boat.
