Yanagawa

Yanagawa is a castle town built on water. Located in southern Fukuoka Prefecture, its network of canals — originally constructed as castle moats over 400 years ago — now forms the backdrop for one of Japan's most charming boat experiences. Flat-bottomed donko boats glide along willow-lined waterways while boatmen sing traditional songs and punt with long bamboo poles.

The town is also the birthplace of the poet Kitahara Hakushu, and his former residence sits beside one of the prettiest canal stretches. Yanagawa's signature dish, unagi no seiro-mushi (steamed eel over rice in lacquer boxes), is considered among the finest eel preparations in Japan. A half-day here offers a pace of life that feels wonderfully removed from Fukuoka's urban energy just 50 minutes away by train.