Mogami River Boat Ride

Attraction

Prefecture

Yamagata

Type

Attraction

N/A

0 reviews

¥3,000

Entry Fee

Train Access

Plan a trip with Mogami River Boat Ride

About This Destination

A relaxing hour-long boat ride down the Mogami River through a scenic gorge, accompanied by the boatman's traditional songs. At its best in autumn foliage and winter snow.

Drift downstream through a scenic gorge as boatmen guide your traditional vessel and entertain with folk songs echoing off the forested cliffs above. This relaxing hour-long journey on the Mogami River passes beneath the towering White Thread Falls and through scenery immortalized in haiku by the wandering poet Basho. Spring brings cherry blossoms cascading down mountainsides, summer offers cooling breezes, autumn paints the gorge in brilliant colors, and winter kotatsu boats keep passengers warm amid snow-dusted landscapes.

Location

Prefecture: Yamagata

Address: Tozawa, Yamagata, Japan

Nearest Station: Furukuchi Station

Hours and fees checked against the official site on 13 October 2026.

Best time to visit: Autumn for foliage and winter for heated kotatsu boats along the river; lush green in summer

🍁 Autumn leaves: Late October – early November in a typical year. See autumn leaves on the map

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Visitor Information

Payment: Unknown

Official Website

Access

Yamagata, Japan

Get Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to the Mogami River boat pier?

Take the JR Rikuu West Line to Furukuchi Station, about 50 minutes from Shinjo, which is the Yamagata Shinkansen terminus. The boarding pier is a 5-minute walk from the station.

What is special about the Mogami River boat ride?

It is a 12-kilometre, roughly one-hour flat-boat cruise down the Mogami gorge between the Furukuchi and Kusanagi piers, during which the boatmen sing the traditional Mogami River boat songs (funauta). This is the river of Basho's haiku "samidare wo atsumete hayashi Mogamigawa," and in winter you can ride a heated kotatsu boat between snow-walled banks.

How much is the boat ride and when is the best time to go?

A one-way ride costs 3,000 yen for adults (3,200 yen from December to March). Fresh green in early summer and autumn colours are popular, while winter brings the heated kotatsu boats and snow-walled banks, so each season offers a different view of the gorge.

Nearby Golf Courses

Asahi Country Club (Yamagata) 27.3km

Nearby Ski Resorts

Hagurosan Ski Resort 12.2km Matsuyama Ski Area 16.7km Yunodai Ski Area 16.7km

🎯 Other Attraction in Yamagata

Gassan

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