Yakatabune

A yakatabune (屋形船) is a kind of privately owned Japanese boat. Private boats of the shōgun from the Heian through the Edo periods were very lavishly decorated. Inside, a yakatabune has tatami mats and Japanese low tables that resemble an upper-class Japanese home; in fact, it means "home-style boat", and were basically for entertaining guests in the old days.

A yakatabune near Odaiba

The inside of a yakatabune

Today, they ply the waterways of the rivers and bays of Tokyo among the skyscrapers and temples for sightseeing and retain a traditional feel. They are often easily identifiable at night by their red lanterns hung along the outside of the cabin.