9 Interesting Things To Do In Chiba You Should Try

How frequently have you said or heard “There’s nothing to do in Chiba”? Surprisingly, though, if you look a little closer, the region also provides a glimpse of traditional Japanese living and a bounty of natural beauty. The prefecture sits just east of the Tokyo metropolitan region and is flanked by rivers and the sea on all four sides, providing beautiful scenery and the best in fresh produce. From Tokyo, it takes only 90 minutes to meander through verdant rice fields or go surfing on sand beaches. Here are our top 9 Interesting Things To Do In Chiba You Should Try.

9 Interesting Things To Do In Chiba You Should Try

1. Lunch on a farm between rice fields and grazing goats.

Everett Kennedy Brown, a photojournalist of American roots, and his wife Deco Nakajima are the owners of Brown’s Field Farm. They offer healthful Japanese food in accordance with macrobiotic principles at their Rice Terrace Café. With a focus on fermentation, the cuisine includes homemade miso, soy sauce, umeboshi (dried salt plums), amazake (fermented rice), and pickled vegetables. Even just sampling the farm’s organic unpolished rice is worthwhile. They have cottages available for rent starting at ¥7,000 per person per night if you wish to stay over.

2. Take ripe pears right off the tree.

Numerous fruit fields may be found in Chiba Prefecture, which also leads the nation in nashi production, a type of Japanese pear. Pick your own seasonal fruits at Ogawa Farm to enjoy. A nashi is spherical in shape, not at all pear-shaped, with a rough yellow exterior and crisp white meat.

The address is 4-4-3 Kamagayasikankounougyoukumiai.info, Kunugiyama, Kamagaya-shi, Chiba. It opens from 9 am to 5 pm (Aug 25 to mid-Oct). 1,000, 600 for 3 to 5-year-olds. Take the Joban line from Tokyo Station to Matsudo Station, then the Shin-Keisei line for the five-minute walk to Kunugiyama Station.

3. Introduce soy sauce to your senses

Since the 17th century, the well-known manufacturer of soy sauce, Kikkoman, has been producing the fermented condiment in Chiba. The soy sauce brewing process will undoubtedly be brought to your attention during a visit to the museum, where you can also discover more about the ripening moromi mash and sample various flavors and colors.

Kikkoman can be reached at 110 Noda, Noda-shi, Chiba. From 9 am to 3 pm; closed on the fourth Monday of the month and on holidays. Entry is free. Take the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara Station to Nagareyama-Otaka-No-Mori, then walk three minutes to Nodashi Station on the Tobu Noda line.

4. Take surfing lessons at Onjuku Beach

The ideal Things To Do In Chiba to escape the heat and enjoy the waves is to Onjuku, a sandy white(ish) beach on the southeastern coast of Chiba. You can get wet-suited up and try to catch your first wave in about two hours by train. Paddle boarding is a better option if the waves are not breaking.

English-speaking surf and SUP lessons, surfboard and wetsuit rentals, and surfboard storage/lockers are all provided by Flying Sumo. Even lodging is available if you are too exhausted from surfing to take the train home. Lessons cost 6,000 per person for groups of two or more. Wetsuits are $1,500 and surfboard rentals start at ¥3,500.

5. Skip Disneyland and have some beer

Take a train for only 16 minutes from Tokyo Station to Harvestmoon Brewery, where you may relax with some fine ales after dropping the kids off at Disneyland. Harvestmoon is a craft brewery that has won numerous honors and produces five different types of beer: Pilsner, Schwarz, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, and Belgian-style Wheat.

A limited-edition seasonal beer is always available on tap and is the Best Things To Do In Chiba. You might be able to take a peek at the spotless brewery with female brewmaster Tomoko Sonoda if you make a good enough impression. For planned tours and tastings, see the website.

6. Ascend Sawteeth Mountain by cable car.

Nokogiri Yama, also known as Sawteeth Mountain due to its jagged contour, was used as a stone quarry during the Edo period (1603–1868). You can enjoy breathtaking views of Tokyo Bay from the 223m-high mountain peak that is reached by cable car.

You could be fortunate enough to see Mt. Fuji on a clear day. A café and an observation deck are also present. If you’re up for it, you can climb the 1.5-hour distance between the top station and Nihonji temple, which is home to a Buddha statue that is 31 meters high (more than twice as high as Kamakura’s renowned Daibutsu).

7. Savour a natural sake.

A little town called Kozaki can be found in Chiba’s northeast. The unique feature of this tucked-away area is its unusually high-quality groundwater, which results in the cultivation of good rice and superior sake. To the point where the Kozaki Sakagura Matsuri (Kozaki Sake Brewery Festival) annually draws more than 30,000 guests.

Terada Honke is one of the more intriguing brewers in the region. For more than 330 years, Terada Honke has produced sake using their own organically farmed rice. The rice is fermented by airborne microorganisms using the traditional Kimoto process, which dates back thousands of years. The Kozaki Sakagura Matsuri, which takes place in March, is the ideal time to go. A number of local brewers open their doors, and sake is freely flowing.

8. Witness the sun go down over terraced rice fields.

The only rice fields in Japan that use exclusively rainwater are Oyama Senmaida, which are renowned for their exquisitely curled ridges. These patchwork-like paddies are quite beautiful and showcase Japanese farming customs. It is very amazing to see the sunset over the 375 terraced fields that form a natural amphitheater on Kamogawa’s slope. Every year, from mid-October to early January, the fields are also illuminated after dark.

9. Attend a Chiba Lotte Marines game on the team’s home field.

The next Things To Do In Chiba is for those who love baseball, if you haven’t guessed it by now, is a really huge deal in Japan. A must-do activity is going to a stadium game. The Chiba Lotte Marines play in Chiba Marine Stadium, which is located on Tokyo Bay’s eastern shore.

Check the schedule and attend the game; support your new team with some garish memorabilia and take in the beer, yakitori, and a rare view of rowdy Japanese fans.  The stadium is renowned for hosting high-profile music events, including sold-out performances by Lady Gaga and Madonna, as well as the Chiba part of the Summer Sonic music festival, which takes place here every August.

Conclusion:

Above is our list of 9 Interesting Things To Do In Chiba, and put it into your next trip to Chiba and I am sure that you will be satisfied. Thank you for reading and see you later!