The “uro-uro bune” project was implemented as one element of the collaborative scheme between Tokyo’s Sumida Ward and Kadokawa Corporation to revitalize the area around the Sumida River with works of art, and showcase the area to the world as a major base of Japanese artistic culture.

“Uro-uro bune,” loosely translated as “meandering boats,” were small vessels that used to be rowed in and around the “yakata bune” (roofed pleasure boats) on the river, selling food and drink, during the Edo period. Featuring an Edo-era motif-based design, an “uro-uro bune” was brought back to the Sumida River of the modern era, selling products conceived by the social welfare service group Sumida Sansan Association to the customers on the river’s tourist “yakata bune.”