In the center of Yanagawa, a 60-km waterway stretches just 2 km square. The entire city of Yanagawa is a whopping 930 km long. Why so long? It is because the Yanagawa area was originally an ocean. Yanagawa faces the Ariake Sea, which has the largest tidal range (6 meters) in Japan.
Because of the topography of the area, fresh water could not be obtained by digging, so it was essential to dig out the soil and make it land, and then to drain the water into it. By creating ditches to improve drainage and heaping up the dug soil to make land, the foundation for daily life was gradually built from the Yayoi period (about 2,000 years ago).
People have been storing rainwater in the moat and using it for drinking, daily life, and agriculture. Even today, moats protect the town from flooding. The fact that moats still exist today is the result of the wisdom and efforts of our ancestors, who faced the disadvantages of the land and never forgot that “humans are part of the great cycle of nature.
There are many landing places for river cruises throughout the town. In the past, each household owned a boat and used it as a means of transportation. There are two landing sites on the premises of Ohana. The one at the main gate of Ohana is a valuable cultural asset, as the gate was relocated in the past and remains intact. It is a special gate for Ohana guests and for welcoming bride boats.
