Osaka: Work to revive historic boat route from Osaka Expo site to Kyoto nears completion

OSAKA — Work to revive a boat route on Osaka’s Yodo River is progressing to coincide with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. When the historic route is revived, it will take about six to seven hours to travel between Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay where the Expo is being held, and Fushimi Ward in Kyoto.

Long ago, passengers and cargo traveled by boat on the Yodo River. In the Edo period (1603-1867), more than 300 boats plied the river daily between Osaka and Fushimi.

However, the use of such boats declined dramatically in the 20th century. In 1983, a large dam, called the Yodogawa Ozeki, was built about 10 kilometers upstream from the mouth of the river to secure the water supply and prevent flooding, which made the route impossible to navigate.

The Kinki Regional Office of the Land Ministry is building a new, approximately 20-meter-wide lock at the dam to allow boats to pass through. The lock will allow four ships, each holding 100 passengers, to pass through at a time, the office said. In addition, a 10th boat dock is under construction in Osaka’s Juso district. Both facilities will be completed by the end of this fiscal year.

In the future, the agency will dredge where necessary to secure the river route.