Gozabunes

The history of Osaka—the second-most populous city in Japan and the tenth-most populous in the world— has long been mingled with the role of the city’s plentiful rivers. These sightseeing boats, or gozabunes, are elegant reproductions of centuries-old ships and allow a unique vision of the storied city. Gozabunes serve as a tribute to Toyotomi Hideyoshi—a samurai who successfully united Japan and held a personal, next-level infatuation with gold.

These modern vessels may be a slight downgrade from his, which were decorated with three thousand sheets of gold leaf, but they do enable visitors to admire Osaka Castle from the inner moat. Though the tour is brief, all accounts of this fish eye view of the city exalt it as a golden experience that gets better each time.

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