When Tokugawa Ieyasu moved his bakufu headquarters to Edo, as part of his renovation of the city he set about to improve the system of waterways. As the Edo period progressed the daimyos and others built luxurious pleasure boats, bringing the yakatabune culture to new heights. What made this possible were the water transport system, the boat operators, and our ancestors’ ingenuity. While yakatabune are typically used for pleasure and sightseeing, they might also be considered part of a transportation infrastructure that could make the city more resistant to disasters. To make this possible, it is important to have a perspective that includes crosscutting initiatives across different fields and the application of local resources.