From the Matsudo side to the Shibamata side! The crossing past the willows, canola flowers, and cherry blossoms was really pleasant. On the Shibamata side there were tulips 🌷 planted, and it was so fun how the plants and the whole vibe change as you go from Chiba to Tokyo!

I tried walking there from Yagiri Station on the Hokuso Line. It's uphill for a while from the station, but once you get over the hill it's mostly flat. After just 10 minutes of walking you come out onto the Edogawa riverbank, and from there the scenery is so pleasant it feels like you could walk forever. About 20 minutes in total, I'd say. Luckily only about 4 people were waiting, so we could board right away. If you crossed straight over it wouldn't be much of a distance, but the boat first heads upstream and then comes back down, so the trip takes about 10 minutes. The boatman's patter is so silly that even I, as a Kansai person, wasn't sure where to start with the comebacks, but that's what gives it character and makes it really heartwarming. Do your best to react and enjoy it. The fare is 300 yen. There's no money changing or ticket sales, so make sure you bring 300 yen in cash. There's nowhere nearby either, so be careful.

On weekends there's a bus from Matsudo Station in Chiba to Yagiri no Watashi. Depending on the time, it only goes as far as the Yagiri no Watashi entrance, so you walk about 15 minutes. I went at the end of March, and the riverside was completely covered in canola flowers, so the 15-minute walk was also really beautiful and enjoyable. There was also a parking lot on the Yagiri no Watashi park side. The boat ride, guided by a staff member with a pretty quirky personality, was fun for under 5 minutes. Adults were 200 yen, children 4 and up 100 yen. It's cash only, so be careful. On the Shibamata side of Yagiri no Watashi, Shibamata Taishakuten is just a short walk away and Shibamata Station is close too, so you can do a bit of sightseeing, which was nice.

The young boatman entertained us with laid-back, funny talk. Parking on the Chiba side is free From the ferry landing to the approach to Shibamata Taishakuten took just 10 minutes even though we got lost, so we had a charming stroll.

Crossed from the Shibamata side over to the Chiba side There was a monument with the lyrics of Takashi Hosokawa's song Yagiri no Watashi The boatman guides you in a funny, entertaining way He also told us about the water intake tower We had a fun crossing from the Chiba side back to the Shibamata side