Tokyo: The Asakusa to Odaiba Mizube Line River Cruise

Cruising around Tokyo is a great way to take in some of the amazing sights the city has to offer. The Tokyo Mizube Line River Cruise, taking you from Asakusa to Odaiba, is a superb way to experience Tokyo by boat and get to know some of the city’s less well-known areas. Here is an overview of this great way of discovering Tokyo, along with all the other useful information you may need to know during your trip.

What is the Asakusa to Odaiba Mizube Line River Cruise?

The Asakusa to Odaiba Mizube Line River Cruise takes you on a leisurely journey through Tokyo along the Sumida River. Starting in historic Asakusa and finishing in futuristic Odaiba, the round trip takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, making it the perfect introduction to Tokyo. The fully-narrated cruise includes a great view of the city’s landmarks, including the Tokyo Skytree and Rainbow Bridge, and will bring you up close and personal with Tokyo’s stunning waterfront, capturing a side of Japan the typical tourist may not get to see.

Booking and Taking the Cruise

The Asakusa to Odaiba Mizube Line River Cruise can be booked online or at the terminals in both locations. Advance online booking is possible, but reservation is not necessary. Check-in starts approximately 30 minutes prior to the departure for each of the two locations.
The boarding process is easy and straightforward. Once at the terminals, head to the ticket counter and purchase your tickets. The price per ticket is ¥1,200 for adults, ¥800 for children, and ¥600 for children under 4 years old. It is also possible to pre-book tickets online at GetYourGuide.
Once at the terminal, take the time to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the many cafes nearby while you wait for the boat to arrive. Before long it will pull up in front of you. After a short boarding process, the boat sets off from Asakusa or Odaiba (depending on which location you start from) and heads out into the river for a relaxing cruise around Tokyo.

The Boat and Facilities

The Mizube Line River Cruise boats are quite small and spacious, typically holding up to 40 passengers. The vessels are simple but comfortable with plenty of room to move around and windows on all sides for excellent views. You can also go out onto the open-air deck situated at the back of the boat during your journey, making sure you don’t miss any of the stunning sights along the way.
Part of what makes the cruise so special are its onboard facilities. It comes with a café serving drinks and snacks, a selection of cards and souvenirs on sale, and fully-narrated audio guides available in English and Japanese.

Places of Interest

Naturally one of the main reasons to take this cruise is to enjoy the many places of interest featuring in Tokyo’s skyline. Here is a list of some of the things you can expect to enjoy as you pass by during your journey:

• Kaminarimon: Located in Asakusa, this giant red lantern adorned with Buddhist deity sculptures has become known as on of Tokyo’s most iconic landmarks.
• Ushijima Inari Shrine: This shrine is hidden away in the little fishing village of Tatsumi near Ariake. Although small, it is known far and wide as one of Tokyo’s oldest shrines.
• Sumida Aquarium: Located near Odaiba Rainbow Bridge, this aquarium opened in 2012 and offers a wide variety of marine life from tropical reef fish to puffins, seals, and sea lions.
• Hama Rikyu Garden: Previously part of a feudal lord’s residence, this garden stretches across some 40 hectares and is full of Japanese landscape gardens and cherry trees.
• Ai no Elemento: If you plan on taking a night cruise then you will enjoy great views of this impressive artificial island which is home to many leisure facilities and events year-round.

Apart from this there are plenty more places to enjoy during your cruise through Tokyo’s waterways and skylines, making it well worth taking a trip with something new appearing around every corner.

The Experience

What makes the Tokyo Mizube Line River Cruise such an enjoyable experience is that here’s something different taking place around every corner, designed especially to make sure nothing feels too overwhelming; instead you get to take everything in slowly with nothing demanding your attention everywhere. The atmosphere onboard is relaxed and allows those on board to appreciate every pleasant sight without feeling rushed.
Listening to the onboard audio guide also adds another depth to your journey as it gets into great detail about each landmark being passed and many stories about Tokyo’s history throughout its two thousand year-long existence as a bridge between East Asia and the rest of Asia! This makes it particularly interesting for anyone who wants to know Tokyo better.

In Summary

The Asakusa to Odaiba Mizube Line River Cruise is surely one of the best ways of discovering Tokyo’s beauty from a new perspective. Whether you are visiting Japan for a short few days or planning to get every bit out of your stay, it’s well worth taking an hour or two off to enjoy this wonderful bit of skylines, nature and culture that Japan has to offer. Pre-book tickets now if you don’t want to miss out!