Hanami River

The Hanami River stretches 18.9 kilometers through the cities of Yachiyo and Chiba in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Originally built as a canal in the 18th century, it connected the Tone River with Tokyo Bay, helped control flooding, and opened up new land for rice paddies. After construction was completed in 1844, flat-bottomed boats at first carried rice and sweet potatoes along the waterway, until road building led to a decline in boat traffic. Today the river is part of the Inba drainage canal and empties into Tokyo Bay in Mihama Ward. Numerous floodgates protect the surrounding area from storm surges and typhoons. For visitors, the area along the river, with its Hanami Cycling Road, offers a place to relax, although parts of the bike path are still under construction.