- Taking a Trip on Tokyo’s Most Futuristic Boat - 12 May 2026
- The Best Ways to Get Yen in Japan - 12 May 2026
- Is the ‘Remake Your Own Kimono’ Experience in Tokyo Worth It? - 2 May 2026
The Tokyo Cruise Boat is a fantastic, futuristic boat that can give you a break from travelling on Tokyo’s crowded subway system – so, if you want to visit Odaiba or Asakusa on a cool-looking boat with a view, here’s what you need to know.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room – why is there something that looks like it should be floating around Tattoine actually floating along the river in Tokyo Bay?
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
The boats, for there are three of them, were designed by the late manga and anime artist Leiji Matsumoto, who was famous for drawing sci-fi sagas including Galaxy Express 999, Queen Emeraldas and Space Battleship Yamato. Now you know that it’s not really surprising that they look like spaceships. Each of the boats – Hotaluna, Himiko and Emeraldas – has the same sleek look.
Cool does not even begin to describe them. I was particularly excited by the Delorean-style doors that lift up from the sleek outside to allow you to enter.
Inside, there is seating along the windows, but also in clusters around the middle of the ship so it’s an uncrowded and comfy ride down below.
However, because the weather was clear the day we were travelling, most people chose to stand on the flat rooftop of the boat where they could get an unhindered view of everything we were sailing past. There are no seats up here, but the journey was pretty smooth.
If you get thirsty, the boat has a bar. There are also toilets on board.
Where Do the Boats Go?
There are three main routes…
Between Odaiba Seaside Park and Asakusa
Takes 50-65 minutes, depending on the exact route
Costs: 2000 yen
The longest route sees you sail from the fun and futuristic Odaiba up to the more traditional sights of Asakusa – or vice versa.
The pier at Odaiba is a short walk from the Aqua City and Decks malls. You can also catch the monorail from nearby Daiba station for places like Small Worlds or teamLabs Planets.
The pier in Asakusa is close to the Azuma Bridge on the Senso-ji side of the river. This makes it very handy for visiting the temple complex and the other sights Asakusa has to offer. It’s also close to the Mimaru Asakusa Station hotel.
Between Hinode Pier and Odaiba Seaside Park
Takes 20 minutes
Costs: 1000 yen
This is the route we chose as we were staying near Hinode Pier and were heading to Small Worlds Tokyo.
It was enough to get a feel for the boat, and seeing the view coming into Odaiba gave us a great view of the Rainbow Bridge and the steel ball of the NHK observation deck.
Between Hinode Pier and Asakusa
Takes 40 minutes
Costs: 1400 yen
Goes from the main part of Tokyo, up to its most famous traditional quarter, or back again. It could be a nice, relaxing way to end your day after a busy time sightseeing in Asakusa- especially if you are staying around the Hamamatsucho or Daimon areas.
They also do special cruises at certain times of year – like cherry blossom season or firework season.
You’ll also find a few special routes, like one from Asakusa to Kamarikyu Gardens that includes garden admission. Check the website for these as they vary by season and day of the week.
How Often Do the Boats Run?
It depends on the route and the time of year. But to give you an idea, there are normally at least four departures a day between Odaiba and Asakusa in each direction – more at weekends.
The first boat is around 10 am, the last is around 4 pm – but, again, the exact timings depend on the route.
Each boat has at least one day off a month for maintenance, so this also changes the schedules.
The website can be a bit confusing, throwing options all over the place, so I discovered the best way to check the exact schedule for the date you are visiting is to start a reservation. These open one month in advance. The website is here.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
Do You Need to Book in Advance?
The boats can sell out, so it’s a good idea, but this is not one of those stressful tickets where you need to be online ready the second they go on sale (unlike some of these ones). You can wait and check how the weather is panning out, and book to do the trip on a nice day.
We booked our boat two days before, and this was in the height of cherry blossom season, which meant the timetables were a little bit messed up as they were using two of the boats to run cherry blossom viewing tours along the Sumida River.
You can make reservations up to five minutes before departure.
The company particularly suggest reserving the Odaiba-Asakusa route, but I also think it’s a good idea to reserve if you are departing from Hinode Pier.
While this is only a short walk from the well-connected Hamamatsucho Station, it’s not really on the tourist track, and there’s not really anything to do here to kill time. It would be kind of annoying to get here and find all the tickets are gone.
Tickets don’t need to be printed, you can just show them on your phone – and they do this fabulous thing where they stamp them electronically on the screen to show you used them. That blew my mind so much I had to photograph it!
Japan really is living in the future! Yes, I know, I’m very easily pleased when I’m overexcited!
Any Downsides?
It was a cool day when we went, but I’ve heard that the boat can get a bit hot in the middle of summer, and with those windows, I can see why.
Also, the upstairs area can get a bit crowded, and there’s no place to sit, which might make it less appealing if you’re traveling with someone a bit less mobile, but who would like to get an outside view.
Don’t fret, though; if you’d prefer a more open, traditional-looking boat, there are other boat cruises you can take around Asakusa and Tokyo Bay. You’ll find dinner cruises, sunset cruises and afternoon tea available.
Can You Take on Luggage?
The cruise line rules say one piece of luggage, with a total dimension of two metres (if you measure all of the sides and add them up), is allowed per person.
There was definitely space for it on the day we travelled, although you wouldn’t be able to take it on the upper deck.
Is the Boat Accessible?
Yes. According to the cruise line, all the boats are accessible.
You enter via a ramp, and then the floor from this point is flat. You do need to climb up stairs to get to the top deck, though.
We really enjoyed catching the boat towards Odaiba. We were staying at the Hotel Tavinos Hamamatsucho, which was very close to the pier, making it pretty convenient. The Fairmont Tokyo is also right opposite the pier. Taking the boat was a little bit more expensive than the monorail, but it takes about the same amount of time, and it can be far less crowded. We did, however, catch the monorail back.
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.