Tokyo Water Bus and Bay Cruises (2026): Asakusa to Odaiba, Fares, and Whether to Book
You want to see Tokyo from the river, probably from Asakusa down to Odaiba, and you're not sure whether to book. The short answer: tickets are also sold on the day, but TOKYO CRUISE recommends booking Asakusa → Odaiba on HIMIKO and HOTALUNA, and passengers with a booking board first.
The Klook and KKday tickets on this page are for a different operator, the Tokyo Mizube Line, which is worth knowing about if the TOKYO CRUISE sailing you want is full.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. We show the operators' own booking first. The agency tickets are for the Tokyo Mizube Line, not TOKYO CRUISE; compare with the Mizube Line's own fare before you buy.
Which boat should you take?
Most visitors want one of three trips. Fares are one way, adult / child, from TOKYO CRUISE's fare pages on Nov 7, 2026.
Asakusa → Odaiba Seaside Park
¥2,000 / ¥1,000 on the three futuristic boats: HIMIKO about 50 min, EMERALDAS about 55 min, HOTALUNA about 60–65 min. Each has its own departures, so check the timetable for the boat you want.
Asakusa → Hinode Pier
¥1,000 / ¥500 on the standard boat, ¥1,400 / ¥700 on HOTALUNA. About 40 min. Hinode Pier is about 2 min on foot from Yurikamome Hinode Station and about 8 min from JR Hamamatsucho.
Asakusa → Hamarikyu
¥1,180 / ¥470, about 35 min, and the fare includes entry to Hamarikyu Gardens. Two sailings a day (11:40 and 14:20). You can only get off here, not board, and the ticket is sold only at the Asakusa pier's ticket machine.
Do you need to book the water bus in advance?
Not always. TOKYO CRUISE sells same-day tickets, first come, first served. Its FAQ recommends booking Asakusa → Odaiba on HIMIKO and HOTALUNA, and passengers with a booking are boarded first. If you want a particular boat and departure, booking is how you fix it.
How to book on the official site
- Open the TOKYO CRUISE site and go to Reservation. The English site is suijobus.co.jp/en. Check the timetable first so you know which departure is which boat.
- Pick the route, date and departure. Web booking opens on the 1st of the month before your sailing. The operator's pages differ on when it closes (the FAQ says up to 5 minutes before departure, the reservation page says 17:00 the day before), so book by the day before to be safe.
- Enter the number of adults and children and your details. Get the numbers right. You can't edit the headcount: to add people, make an extra booking; for anything else, cancel and rebook, which may cost a cancellation fee.
- Pay by card from the link in the email. If you choose card payment, the operator emails you a payment URL after you apply. The booking isn't confirmed until you finish paying there, and closing the payment page partway can stop the payment going through.
- Board with your e-ticket. On the day, show the e-ticket from the completion email. If the email doesn't arrive, give your booking time and name at the pier.You'll want data on the day to check the operating status and find the pier. A Japan eSIM is the easiest fix.Compare Japan eSIMs on Klook ↗
What the official pages said on Nov 7, 2026
TOKYO CRUISE's Japanese timetable listed Asakusa → Odaiba on HIMIKO, EMERALDAS and HOTALUNA, with each boat's days off for November. It said HIMIKO is not calling at Toyosu for now, and that Hinode Pier's Palette Town and Tokyo Big Sight routes are suspended.
The English fare page still listed HIMIKO to Toyosu and a set of December evening sailings dated for the 2025 calendar, so we don't use either here.
The Tokyo Mizube Line page (checked Nov 6) said its Asakusa–Odaiba cruise restarted on Oct 17, 2026, runs Wednesday to Sunday as standard, and is suspended on Nov 7 and Nov 26.
Is the water bus worth it, or is the train better?
As pure transport, compare it with the train first. As a sightseeing ride, it takes you down the Sumida River from Asakusa and out into Tokyo Bay, which no train does.
Our pick: the Hamarikyu sailing if your times work, because ¥1,180 includes the garden. If you want the futuristic boat for photos, HIMIKO, EMERALDAS or HOTALUNA to Odaiba. If you only want a taste, the ¥1,000 boat to Hinode Pier.
Sold out or no sailing? Your other options
If TOKYO CRUISE is full for your time, or the boat you wanted has a day off, these still get you on the water.
Tokyo Mizube Line, Asakusa ↔ Odaiba
Run by a different company, from the Asakusa Nitenmon pier. You can also buy on its own website or at the booth on the day; the Odaiba booth takes no cash. Compare its own fare with the agency price before you buy.
Affiliate linksSymphony lunch or dinner cruise
A restaurant boat from Hinode Pier. The operator says its route passes under Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Gate Bridge. A different kind of trip: more expensive, but seated with a meal.
Affiliate linkTake the train and see the bay from above
The Yurikamome line crosses Rainbow Bridge on its way to Odaiba. Or see the whole bay from a tower.
Things to know before you go
- Boats can be cancelled without notice in bad weather. Check the operator's Today's Operating Status page on the morning.
- HIMIKO, HOTALUNA and EMERALDAS each have monthly maintenance days (the Japanese timetable gives the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tuesday and the day after, except August), and the timetable lists every departure's days off for the month.
- TOKYO CRUISE is fully cashless: credit card, e-money or QR code payment only, with no way to top up at the pier.
- No food or drink brought from outside on HIMIKO, HOTALUNA or EMERALDAS, except items bought at the TOKYO CRUISE CAFE at the Asakusa and Hinode piers.
- Luggage: one item of up to 2 m in total dimensions per person.
- Wheelchairs can usually board as they are, but on some spring-tide days the ramp can get too steep at the lowest tide.
- Fares are one way; there is no return discount.
Make a day of it
Asakusa and the Skytree
Senso-ji is a short walk from the Asakusa pier, and the Skytree is across the river.
teamLab Planets, Toyosu
From Odaiba, the Yurikamome line runs on to Shin-Toyosu, the station for teamLab Planets. Timed tickets, so book first.
Tokyo Subway Ticket
For the rest of your day in central Tokyo, from ¥1,000 for 24 hours. It does not cover the Yurikamome or Rinkai Line to and from Odaiba.
Affiliate linkBefore you set off
Timetables change month by month, and the Japanese timetable is the one with each boat's days off. Check it, and the Today's Operating Status page, before you head to the pier.
Affiliate link