Photo= A boat proceeds slowly under an illuminated corridor of cherry blossoms (March 27, Lake Biwa Canal, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto)

A test-ride for the night-time cherry blossom viewing event, "Okazaki Sakura-kairo Light-up & Jikkoku-bune Meguri," or lit-up corridor of cherry blossoms in the Okazaki area and old-fashioned wooden houseboat trip, was held on Lake Biwa Canal, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, on March 27. The cherry trees in partial-bloom emerged against the background of the night sky and approximately 120 people involved in the event enjoyed the atmospheric scene.

The houseboat took about 25 minutes to ply the approximately three kilometer round-trip route between the Lake Biwa Canal Museum and Ebisugawa Dam. More than 400 cherry blossoms were lit up and some of them arched out over the river within the passengers' reach. Yoshitaka Yamamoto, the head director of Kyoto Tourist Industry Co-op said, "The cherry blossoms are expected to be at their peak from this weekend through next week. We want people to enjoy our boat trips, while thinking about the canal's history."

The night-time boats run from March 28 to April 13. The daytime trips will continue until May 6. The fare is 1,000 yen for adults. For further information, call the Co-op's cell phone, 080-6158-9703.