Jaunt in Chiba in Fall (2/2)
Today I got up at 7:30AM. I forgot to close the window so I was forced to fight with mosquitos in the late night, but an insect repellent spray was provided so it wasn't a big deal.
In the morning, after I went to the lighthouse, Nojimazaki-lighthouse, which I tried to visit yesterday, and luckily it was open and I could see the excellent view. Also this is the southernmost point of Boso, so there was a monument and a bench for looking at the broad sea.
I visited Inubosaki, the easternmost point of Chiba before (it's also really interesting to visit, and it's easier to reach), but it shares an interesting point: when you look at the direction of the land, you can see two sides of the sea reaching and almost separating between where you are and the land you're looking at. Hard to explain, but you might understand by seeing this picture.
Other than the seaside resort area, Shirahama is just a rural town. Especially in the mountains (again, mountains in Chiba are not high) where even agriculture is not easy, it is depressed at all.
I arrived at Tateyama station at 10:30AM, but since more than 40 minutes were remaining for the next train to Katsuura, so I explored the city a little. There is a beach again (on the opposite side to the central street).
Transferring at Awa-Kamogawa station, where the popular aquarium Kamogawa Sea World is located. If you like dolphins and orcas, you can enjoy yourself there. But I don't have hours of time to spend there and it is beyond my budget, so I took the next train in 5 minutes.
This area, especially between Tateyama and Katsuura, looks less populated than other areas in Chiba, so all you can see from the train is forests, seashore, and deserted towns. However, those deserted towns are likely to have their own port and they can live with marine productions.
I arrived at Katsuura station around 12:30PM. To be honest, it is very difficult to decide what to eat if you stay Katsuura only for an hour. Katsuura is, as I mentioned before, very famous for fishery products, especially bonitos. On the other hand, Katsuura tantanmen (like ramen but much more spicy) is becoming more and more popular in recent few years. I chose tantanmen because I had enjoyed fishes at Choshi, the easternmost city of the prefecture, which is the largest fishery city in Chiba, and I love noodles (forget I ate ramen last night).
Tantanmen in Katsuura is somehow much different from that from other areas. The main reason could be that they use spicy oil instead of red pepper. This is by the most popular restaurant, Ishii, and this pork tantanmen is 1000 yen. It was nice, but I also wanted to try some fish rice-bowls too...
After finishing lunch, I found a store nearby the station and bought raw seaweed (for eating with rice) and pickled sardine. It was a nice stay overall.
So this looks like a huge parking area. No cars now.
And this is the entrance tunnel. Unfortunately I couldn't get in the park. (I once heard you can get in the park from seaside, but I didn't have time to stay in the middle of nothing.)
After visiting the used-to-be park, I left the station, and returned to my hometown. The omitted part was actually the longest train ride though.
Luckily, there are express trains from Tokyo to Katsuura and Kamogawa, so if you want to visit Katsuura city and Sea World, it would be much easier: you can reach there in 100 minutes from Tokyo. Otherwise the train ride would be so stressful.
Overall, it was interesting course, but I don't recommend this course to those who are new to Japan or new to Chiba. There are much more interesting places in Tokyo city area, and there were very few historically intriguing places in southern Chiba. If you are getting bored of inside Yamanote-line or your hometown, then it would be very enjoyable to visit these places.
In the morning, after I went to the lighthouse, Nojimazaki-lighthouse, which I tried to visit yesterday, and luckily it was open and I could see the excellent view. Also this is the southernmost point of Boso, so there was a monument and a bench for looking at the broad sea.
I visited Inubosaki, the easternmost point of Chiba before (it's also really interesting to visit, and it's easier to reach), but it shares an interesting point: when you look at the direction of the land, you can see two sides of the sea reaching and almost separating between where you are and the land you're looking at. Hard to explain, but you might understand by seeing this picture.
Other than the seaside resort area, Shirahama is just a rural town. Especially in the mountains (again, mountains in Chiba are not high) where even agriculture is not easy, it is depressed at all.
I arrived at Tateyama station at 10:30AM, but since more than 40 minutes were remaining for the next train to Katsuura, so I explored the city a little. There is a beach again (on the opposite side to the central street).
From Tateyama to Katsuura
Leaving Tateyama, the train goes along the shore. The feature of the seashore around here is that it is fill with huge rocks, and even cliffs are seen, but because of the prefecture's low altitude, many fishery towns are existing now. Those towns are famous for seaweed (nori, hijiki), shellfish (very expensive awabi and sazae). and in Katsuura-city, bonitos are also very famous, along with tuna. Also they do tsukemono (pickled fish), so I bet you wouldn't be able to decide which you buy for a souvenir.
Transferring at Awa-Kamogawa station, where the popular aquarium Kamogawa Sea World is located. If you like dolphins and orcas, you can enjoy yourself there. But I don't have hours of time to spend there and it is beyond my budget, so I took the next train in 5 minutes.
This area, especially between Tateyama and Katsuura, looks less populated than other areas in Chiba, so all you can see from the train is forests, seashore, and deserted towns. However, those deserted towns are likely to have their own port and they can live with marine productions.
I arrived at Katsuura station around 12:30PM. To be honest, it is very difficult to decide what to eat if you stay Katsuura only for an hour. Katsuura is, as I mentioned before, very famous for fishery products, especially bonitos. On the other hand, Katsuura tantanmen (like ramen but much more spicy) is becoming more and more popular in recent few years. I chose tantanmen because I had enjoyed fishes at Choshi, the easternmost city of the prefecture, which is the largest fishery city in Chiba, and I love noodles (forget I ate ramen last night).
Tantanmen in Katsuura is somehow much different from that from other areas. The main reason could be that they use spicy oil instead of red pepper. This is by the most popular restaurant, Ishii, and this pork tantanmen is 1000 yen. It was nice, but I also wanted to try some fish rice-bowls too...
After finishing lunch, I found a store nearby the station and bought raw seaweed (for eating with rice) and pickled sardine. It was a nice stay overall.
Namekawa Island, the lost paradise of birds
After an hour stay at Katsuura, I returned back a little, heading to Namegawa-Island station. What is Namekawa Island? All I know is it was a kind of zoo park (it had a nickname, Paradise of Birds because flamingo show was the main event) closed in 2001, and you can only see its trace now. However, somehow the station next to the park is still remaining today. That explains this station is in the middle of nothing, and the number of users is the lowest in Chiba (Around 10 people in a day.)
So this looks like a huge parking area. No cars now.
And this is the entrance tunnel. Unfortunately I couldn't get in the park. (I once heard you can get in the park from seaside, but I didn't have time to stay in the middle of nothing.)
After visiting the used-to-be park, I left the station, and returned to my hometown. The omitted part was actually the longest train ride though.
Conclusion
Boso peninsula is quiet but interesting place, especially for those who don't go to sea very often. I felt a lot of the tourists are coming from Saitama pref., that is one of the landlocked prefecture in Greater Tokyo. Shirahama's location and the lighthouse, and Katsuura's delicious local food is nice, but other than that most of the place was a typical Japanese town landscapes, so you can easily get bored if you have visited number of places in Japan.Luckily, there are express trains from Tokyo to Katsuura and Kamogawa, so if you want to visit Katsuura city and Sea World, it would be much easier: you can reach there in 100 minutes from Tokyo. Otherwise the train ride would be so stressful.
Overall, it was interesting course, but I don't recommend this course to those who are new to Japan or new to Chiba. There are much more interesting places in Tokyo city area, and there were very few historically intriguing places in southern Chiba. If you are getting bored of inside Yamanote-line or your hometown, then it would be very enjoyable to visit these places.
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