The boatman sings a low-pitched, wistful air as he poles our craft down the watery freeway. Some of my fellow passengers obviously know the melancholic song, and join in on what passes for a chorus as we're propelled otherwise noiselessly down the wide canal.

I recognize only a handful of words, though the two that stand out relate directly to my day's adventure. One is unagi (freshwater eel), the first Japanese dish I ever tasted and the one that still makes my mouth water when I spot it on a menu. The other is yanagawa, whose characters mean "willow tree" & "river" — and it's in this city in northern Kyushu that styles itself "town on the water" that I am now enjoying a leisurely cruise on its numerous canals.

Water seems to be the driving force behind my visit to Yanagawa, as it was the torrential rain of a late-summer typhoon that caused my flight to Kobe to be diverted to Fukuoka and so launch me on an unexpected adventure. Even here in Kyushu, my train to Yanagawa is doused with passing showers throughout the ride. Thankfully, by the time I arrive the heavens have brightened and I can safely pack away my umbrella.