I am sure the scenery is stunning during the cherry blossom season. However, I think one can do without the boat ride. We were first in line and seated right in the front where the view should be the best. However, our view were mostly blocked by the boatman. The music was loud and the boatman paused quite often and turned around to provide commentary. It felt more like an interruption when I was looking forward to enjoy a peaceful ride. It wasn't exactly a 50-minutes ride either. There is at least a 15-20 minutes stop at a small museum where everything was in Japanese. If I were to visit again, I will opt to walk along the river instead.