I was so enamored by the Hozugawa River when I rode the Sagano Romantic Train that I actually found myself back at Kameoka to experience the Hozugawa River Boat Ride (also known as Hozugawa Kudari).
The river view was just so enticing that I knew this trip wouldn't be complete without me experiencing a ride through it in person. And true enough, it was probably the most exhilarating and breath-taking experience I've had in Japan up until that point.
Getting to the Hozugawa Kudari boarding point was relatively easy. From Kyoto, you'll just need to take the JR Sagano Main Line up until you get to JR Kameoka Station. From there, it's going to be a 10-20 minute walk up until you get to the building.
Hozugawa River Boat Ride From Kameoka to Arashiyama
This is what the Hozugawa River Boat Ride boarding point looks like. The entrance and reception is on the second floor. If you're ready then just use the stairs that are just behind the vending machines to head on up and buy your tickets.
Inside, the Hozugawa River Boat Ride boarding point building looks a lot like your typical bus or train stop. In fact, it even had a diorama similar (though not the same) to the one I saw at Torokko Arashiyama Station. There were also plenty of signboards, displays featuring Kameoka products, and guidemaps here that you could check out while waiting in line to get your ticket.
So this was the state of the line when I got there. Since I arrived quite early, there weren’t that many people in line yet. Whether you've yet to purchase a ticket or you've already gotten one online, you’ll need to make sure that you still line up here.
Thankfully, the whole process was pretty streamlined and I didn't really need to wait long to get my ticket.
As I was waiting in line, I couldn't help but notice this area to my right. These are life vests given out to passengers to ensure they don't drown if they fall out during the boat ride. Safety is an utmost concern here especially since a recent accident that happened sometime in 2023.
Basically one of the boats capsized and while all the passengers wound up being safe, the same couldn't be said for the boatman (deceased by drowning) and one of the members of the crew (still missing).
Thankfully, the life jackets are already included with your payment for the ticket so you won’t have to fork out money to rent these. If you do have some extra money then you might want to use them on the gachapon vending machines here. The capsules from these contain miniature mascots though it’s all random and you won’t be able to choose what you like.
So these are the people that have already gotten their tickets and are just waiting to board the boat. While waiting, you can check out the shop here for souvenirs as well as snacks and drinks. I would have wanted to check on the prices of these items but I was a little preoccupied by the signboard that detailed the dedicated Audio Guide App for the Hozugawa River Boat Ride.
Not many people in Japan speak English fluently so don’t expect the guides and boatmen for the boat ride to be able to tell you about the notable landmarks and views you’ll pass by during the whole 2-hour passage. Thankfully, the dedicated Audio Guide App can help bridge this language barrier. Just make sure you scan the QR Code on your phone and you should be able to appreciate the boat ride even more.
Here’s what the Hozugawa River Boat Ride tickets look like. The QR Code for the app is also here. Now don’t worry if you’re not too keen on downloading the app to your phone.
The QR code actually redirects to a page where you can access the web/browser version of the app. Ideally you’re going to want to listen/read the contents of the app before you board as the ride can get a little noisy.
It was eventually time for us to head out and I was actually quite excited at this point. The people here were divided into two groups each with different boats and boarding points (my ticket number meant I was going to Point B). It was a relatively short walk to these boarding points which were actually near the base of the bridge (the Shin-Hozu Ohashi Bridge) you see in the background of this image.
After a short walk, I finally reached the boarding points for the Hozugawa River Boat Ride. It was quite foggy and cold when I got here which is understandable considering this visit was in early winter after all. Take note that the boats you’ll be riding aren’t the same as the yakatabune you’d find at the Katsura River (specifically those at the Arashiyama Park Nakanoshima Area).
Our group didn’t have to wait long and we finally found ourselves on the boat ride. The initial stretch of the river past the boarding points was generally calm with our boatman providing commentary from time to time. One of the notable landmarks I noticed in this initial stretch was the Hozu Kobashi Bridge that you see in the background.
There were some rapids near the bridge but these were relatively gentle. The bridge is actually quite small and I don’t even think that cars are meant to pass by it. I’d like to think that this is really where the exciting part of the boat ride actually starts.
After Hozu Kobashi Bridge, the next landmark I came across was Uketa Shrine. It’s widely considered as iconic and is said to be built at a place where the gods first carved the mountains. Now though, it’s the first landmark you’ll see before entering Hozukyo Gorge and from here the river’s rapids start to get stronger and louder.
In my writeup of the Sagano Romantic Train, I talked about there being a walking trail from Kameoka to Arashiyama. That actually passes through Uketa Shrine so if you want to see what this place looks like up close, you might want to take the walking trail as well. Again though, that walking trail takes time so it’s probably only advisable if you’re staying in the area for an extended period.
We’re now in Hozukyo Gorge and it’s absolutely beautiful here. The fog gives this place such a surreal and ethereal vibe. It actually still looks a little peaceful save for the steady sound of the rapids growing louder the more our boat got further into it.
Speaking of rapids, this was one of the first relatively strong ones that our boat came across during this passage. Thankfully, our boatmen were quite good at navigating this stretch and while bumpy, we did come out of this stretch in one piece. There were a couple more sections with moderate rapids during the passage though none that posed a danger to our boatmen.
After a section that had rapids, we would typically find ourselves in calmer sections. We were told that the water level at that time was relatively high so the rapids were a little stronger. The higher water level also meant that the boat was going a little faster in the calmer sections like in the image above.
That's a section of the walking trail from Kameoka to Arashiyama that I was talking about in my write-up of my experience with the Sagano Romantic Train. I did think of hiking through here but like I said in my write-up, my fear of encountering bears got the best of me. Aside from bears, I also wouldn't recommend this unless you're relatively fit and experienced with hikes as it can be quite a long walk.
As the minutes passed, the fog slowly started to give way to the light and we were regaled with even more stunning views. This stretch of the river was particularly nice as the water was relatively calm. Then after the bend, we got to see how the sunlight was trying to push through the fog that hadn’t lifted yet.
It’s hard to explain the sight and I really think it was one of those “you just had to be there” kinds of experiences.
Much like a lot of the places I visited here in Kyoto, I think the best time to take the Hozugawa River Boat Ride is in spring and/or fall. If you want to see the sakura lining the river’s banks in bloom then come here in spring. Now if it's the red and brown hues of fall foliage that you're after then autumn definitely is the season you'd want to schedule your visit on.
Just remember though that these seasons are going to be pretty busy so expect sizable crowds.
Here you can see one of the bridges (if I remember correctly, this was the second we passed) for the JR Sagano Line connecting Kameoka to Kyoto. While it also connects both cities, the Sagano Romantic Train uses the tracks of the older JR Sanin Main Line which hugs the southern side of the gorge and only bisects the river near Mt. Ogura. I think (and I might be wrong) you'll pass through five of these before the boat ride gets to the Arashiyama end point.
There are also other bridges like the one at the Hozukyo Torokko station of the old JR Sanin Main Line/Sagano Romantic Train but that is more of a footbridge rather than a railway bridge like in the image above.
This was probably the most relaxing section of the river. The water had this turquoise hue to it that actually made me want to swim. I think if I'd had come here a bit earlier in autumn then I could’ve also seen the fall foliage.
Just a couple of minutes after passing the previous bridge, we again came across another one. At this point, the boat ride was past a third, or close to half of the way to Arashiyama. It was kind of crazy because we didn't really notice time passing by even if we'd already covered a noticeable distance.
Really the only indication that some time had passed was the sun now fully out and there being no fog.
There were still sections of the river that had rapids and while these weren't really rough, I made sure to keep my phone in my pockets during these stretches just to be safe. Typically you'd know rapids are coming up as you can clearly see the white water from far away (like in the image above). On a side note, don't you think this is such an amazing sight?!
You'll know you're close to Arashiyama once you come up to this area. The break in the gorge's wall that you see in the image above is where the Kiyotaki River converges with the Hozugawa. It's not visible from my vantage point but there are actually walking paths near the area that you can take to get to areas like the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and landmarks like the first Torii Gate of the Atago Jinja Shrine.
Earlier, I talked about the Hozu Torokko Station and how there's a footbridge there to allow crossing the river from the gorge's southern section. Well, you can actually get to this location by following the walking path once you cross. Much like the walking path from Kameoka (which the one here is a section of) though, not many people go by this route because of how long it typically takes to complete.
Remember when I mentioned the Daihikaku Senko-ji Temple in my write-up of my experience riding the Sagano Romantic Train? Well, here you can see the temple complex's buildings up close. The fact that we already reached this place meant that the boat ride was also close to its end point in Arashiyama.
On most maps, this section is actually considered a part of the Katsura River. The level of the water here is noticeably higher and as a result, there aren't any rapids. For some reason, the view here had this calming effect on me and I couldn't help but think it's one of the reasons why the Daihikaku Senko-ji Temple was built in this area.
Aside from the other passengers and boatmen talking from time to time, the only noise you could hear here was the boat's oars striking the water. It's kind of crazy considering Kyoto is quite literally just a couple of minutes away. Anyway, the boat ride from this point on was relatively chill.
While these are part of the Daihikaku Senko-ji Temple complex, I'm not particularly sure what these buildings might be for. These don't look quite like the traditional style buildings in most temples and shrines that I've been to. As I said in my Sagano Romantic Train as well as Togetsukyo Bridge and Arashiyama Park write-ups, getting here will require a 20-45 minute walk.
There is a dock here but I'm not sure if it's used for tours or boat rides. Admittedly, I was so enamored by this dock that I forgot to ask our friendly boatmen about it. Crossing my fingers that hopefully, I could visit and talk about Daihikaku Senko-ji Temple in the future.
And so we finally reached the end point of the Hozugawa River Boat Ride. This is actually still part of Arashiyama Park Kameyama Area. In the background you can see one of the park’s public toilets.
The dock was also quite scenic with Togetsukyo Bridge as well as the Arashiyama Park Nakanoshima Area being quite visible from here. Actually, I've read most people tend to go directly to the surrounding areas here after disembarking from the boats. If you've read my writeups of the ones I've visited then you'd know that they're all worth checking out.
Now to get to the surrounding areas, all you'll need to do is follow the walking path as seen in the image above. Going forward is the general location of the Togetsukyo Bridge while the direction of the public toilets earlier is where you can start exploring the Arashiyama Park Kameyama Area. You might also want to check out the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts and Culture nearby if you're not too keen on walking around.
Our boatmen were really nice and quite friendly during the whole boat ride. Now, I'm not sure if this is going to be the case if you do decide to take the Hozugawa River Boat Ride. That said, the stuff I've read about the boatmen here have generally been positive and I think the most important thing is that they've always made sure that us, the passengers, were always safe during the course of our passage.
Remember when I said you'd need to walk to get to Daihikaku Senko-ji Temple? You can actually see the walking path you'll need to follow to get there in the background of this image.
Now you're probably wondering, do the boatmen go back upstream after the boat ride is done? I tried looking into it and they actually take their boats on land and then have them transported back to Kameoka. Going upstream probably isn't possible thanks to the numerous rapids they'd have to fight against.
Having trucks carry the boats back just seems like a much more efficient way of transporting them.
And just like that, our boatmen are off to get their boat back to Kameoka. I think a big reason for my enjoyment of this experience is their expertise in navigating the river’s rapids, twists, and turns. Their banter was also very appreciated and even though they were far from fluent in English, they communicated really well.
At 6000 JPY per person, the Hozugawa Kudari definitely isn't cheap. It was probably one of the most expensive experiences I've had here in Japan. That said, I think it ended up being extremely worth every single yen (more on this later).
Anyway, if you're up for even more adventure on the river then the Arashiyama Tsusen North Boarding is close by. It’s just a walking distance from the end point and it offers a different kind of boating experience that's a little more leisurely. As you can see, the boats are smaller and so their range is much shorter (often limited to just this area).
This ends my Hozugawa River Boat Ride experience. A short summary of it would be: it was great! That said, this experience isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows for everyone.
Before I recommend it, I think it might be worth talking about how it is going to fit your schedule and budget. Depending on where you're staying, you might end up spending a lot of time and money on your commute. This is especially true if you happen to be in Kyoto.
Moreover, the ticket for the Hozugawa Kudari itself is a tad bit expensive relative to other activities like shrine and/or temple visits. And unlike most shrine/temple visits, this activity alone can take up half of your day even if you schedule it early (especially if you plan it during the peak season).Now if the schedule and budget isn't a concern then I'd say the Hozugawa River Boat Ride is a must if you're visiting Kyoto. It has nearly everything.
You get to enjoy immersive views of Hozukyo Gorge and Arashiyama while on a boat going past some moderate (I've read some are listed as Class 1-2) rapids. Looking back, while I like the Sagano Romantic Train, I'd definitely choose the Hozugawa Kudari over it. That said, I am in a position where I get to have both the time and the budget to fit this activity in my itinerary.
You should still consider your own schedule and budget as there are plenty of locations and activities that might be a better fit for your visit.Anyway, how did you like my Hozugawa River Boat Ride experience? Did it convince you to fit this activity for your own itinerary? If yes, then make sure to share your thoughts about the boat ride with us in our comments section!
