- Yanagawa Ohana

What is Ohana, and what does the name mean?

The name refers to the original name of the land the estate was built on. In 1697 Akitora Tachibana, the 4th direct descendant of the Tachibana family, began construction on canals surrounding a square 23,000m² site and built a villa and grounds there named "Shukeitei". The land was already known locally as "Hanabatake" or "flower field", and was subsequently abbreviated to "Ohana", which means simply "flower". It has been so named ever since.

	What is a typical Yanagawa dish, and what are some local souvenirs?
	Yanagawa's most popular specialty dish is unagi seiromushi - savory grilled eel on a bed of steamed rice. Some local souvenirs include tasty seaweed from the nearby Ariake Sea, kasuzuke pickles and kossanmochi rice cakes.

	From where can I take a kawakudari boat ride around Yanagawa's canals, and how much does it cost?
	Although Ohana itself does not operate kawakudari tours, you can choose from among 6 separate tour companies dotted along the canals. Cruises run from about 9:00 a.m. to sunset, and cost 1,500yen per person for about one hour.

Where can I take photos like those done by the famous photographer Nobuyoshi Araki?

Ohana's Seiyokan Annex remains virtually unchanged since Araki took his famous photo series here. Even the suit of armour featured in a movie about Araki, "Tokyo Biyori" is still here, and visitors are welcome to take photos. Lunch times are often busy, so we suggest that you visit either in the morning or evening. If you're lucky enough to have one of Yanagawa's flat-bottomed donko canal boats to yourself, you will take more good pictures. All boats operate on a principle of shared space, so try taking an early or very late cruise, or discuss the cost of hiring a boat for yourself.

	Can I stay in the room Araki stayed in with his wife, Yoko? And which room did actors Naoto Takenaka and Miho Nakayama, who played the roles of Araki and his wife in the film "Tokyo Biyori", stay in?
	Nobuyoshi and Yoko Araki stayed at Ohana nearly 20 years ago, and the room is now used as one of Ohana's restaurants. Ohana's accommodation facilities opened in 1984, and overnight guests can usually enjoy dinner in that room unless it's reserved for a function that day. We have decorated the room to look as it did in the film "Tokyo Biyori".

I have always dreamt of getting married in Yanagawa, gliding down the serene canals in a boat and wearing a bridal kimono. Can anyone organize a wedding like this?

Of course. In Yanagawa tradition, the wedding ceremony is first held at the nearby Hiyoshi-jinja shrine, then the couple takes a boat along Yanagawa's romantic canals to Ohana and its banquet rooms. This custom is as popular with local couples as it is with brides and grooms from around the country. During peak sightseeing season, other canal boats crowd around to congratulate the happy couple. For details, see below.

	Can I hold a wedding ceremony at Ohana complete with a Western-style wedding dress?
	Unfortunately Ohana does not have a chapel on the premises, but you can arrange to have a garden wedding, a wedding inaugurated by a celebrant, or a Western Christian-style wedding in our Seiyokan Annex. Please discuss your ideas with our staff at the phone numbers indicated, or contact <info@ohana.co.jp>.

What are the costs for accommodation, dining and the numerous other facilities at Ohana?

Accommodation is available from 15,000yen/night per person for a twin-share room, and includes two full-course meals. You can choose from our Japanese or Western-style rooms. Single accommodation is available from 17,000yen/night, again including two full-course meals.

A variety of courses are available at our restaurants. Full-course regional specialty lunches and dinners featuring Ariake Sea fish and unagi seiromushi, grilled eel on rice, start at 5,000yen/person at our traditional restaurant in the Ozashiki Room of the main building. Seasonal kaiseki banquet full-course meals are available here from 4,500yen/person. Shukeitei Japanese Restaurant also offers delicious unagi seiromushi for 1,600yen, and Western foods are listed on the menu too.

To visit the garden, museum and Seiyokan Annex costs 420yen for adults, while a combined pass for 700yen allows you to additionally view the Edo period suits of armour and elaborate dolls. Click here for tariffs.