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| A favourite attraction in Yamagata for tourists and residents alike is the boat ride along the Mogami river. Departing from Furukuchi, west of Shinjo in the northern part of the Prefecture, boats take passengers on hour-long tours down the river.
The highlight of the trip is the Mogamigawa Funa Uta (Mogami river boatman's song) sung by the boatman guide. The boatmen now sing their song in various languages including English. The English is pretty incomprehensible, but apparently the Japanese is the same! |
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In the past, the Mogami river was a major artery for transport and trade in Yamagata. This was most evident in the Edo period (1600-1868) with the opening of the Western sea route to the Kansai area. Products from Yamagata such as rice, safflowers, beans and lacquer were transported from inland Yamagata to the coastal town of Sakata, from where they were shipped to other parts of the country. Goods were also brought to Yamagata from the Kansai area, resulting in traces of culture from Kyoto remaining in Yamagata to this day. For example, each spring in the town of Kahoku a special hina-matsuri (doll festival) is celebrated, when old families display beautifully preserved Edo period dolls which were brought from Kyoto at the height of the lucrative Safflower trade. Also the dialect around Sakata is said to bear many semblances to the Kyoto dialect.
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| Almost wherever you go in Yamagata you will come across the Mogami river, as it flows from the far south-east to the far north-west of the Prefecture. |  |
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| The scenery around the river changes from mountain streams to wide plains to deep gorges, and from snow covered trees through fresh greenery and autumn leaves with the changing seasons. The area around Furukuchi is no different - the boat ride takes on a different perspective with each season. Many people prefer the various shades of green best seen around April ~ May, but the snowy riverbanks viewed from the warm kotatsu (covered heated table) on the boats in winter are also a sight not to be missed. |
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20 minutes from JR Shinjo station on the Riku'u Saisen to Furukuchi station. From there 7 minutes on foot to the Funabansho starting point.
1930 yen Per person. |
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