Himiko, The Spaceship Shaped Japanese River Bus

Published: Monday, April 15, 2013, 11:43 [IST]

The Japanese capital city of Tokyo has an impressive skyline and one way to enjoy the metropolis is through a boat ride. Boat rides are a prefered mode of transportation by tourists, who choose it over commuting on road or underground trains for the same reason.

Tokyo Cruise Ship Company is a private company that runs a fleet of "river buses" on important waterways including on the Sumida River. While the company is not the only one that offers "river bus" service, it is certainly the most popular among tourists. The reason being the interestingly designed Himiko river bus fleet it operates.

Himiko is the name of a fleet of river buses operated by Tokyo Cruise Ship Company.

A Himiko river bus does not look like a typical boat, but is instead designed like a futuristic looking spacecraft.

The boat's design was created by artist Reydzi Matsumoto, who works in the anime and manga genre.

Himiko measures 33 x 8 meters and has a displacement of 114 tons.

The river bus operates in the Sumida River Line, which takes travellers from Asakusa to Hama Rikyu garden and then a bit further to Odaiba. The second, Odaiba Line travels from Hinode to Odaiba Seaside Park.

Himiko river buses are themselves a tourist attraction due to their unique design. In addition, these boats have panoramic roofs, which offer a good view of the city.