More than 2 million tourists a year come to Yanagawa river to boat down the canals and enjoy the bamboo steamed eel dish. The canals also have a historical significance for their role in society since the Edo period, as related in the documentary The Story of Yanagawa's Canals (1987), directed by the late Isao Takahata. With the help of local NPOs and Kyushu University, 9 of our students in the school’s Natural Science Club are carrying out activities to restore the Japanese Eel to the canals.