Yanagawa

Yanagawa is a canal town on the flatlands of southern Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, where old castle moats thread the streets in place of a downtown river. The waterways are the town's identity, and gliding along them by punt has been the way to see Yanagawa for generations.

Boatmen pole long punts down the canals beneath willows and under low stone bridges, singing as they steer; winter cruises add kotatsu braziers aboard. Ohana, the Tachibana lords' villa, opens its pine-and-pond garden at the route's end, and in early spring sagemon hanging dolls color the town for the doll festival.

Lunch is settled here: seiro-mushi, eel steamed over seasoned rice, has been the local dish for generations. The Nishitetsu line runs direct from Fukuoka's Tenjin district, making Yanagawa a favorite half-day trip. Spring blossoms over the water and autumn light both flatter the canals.