Nameroなめろう
A Boso fishermen’s dish of fresh horse mackerel chopped with miso, ginger and green onion.
Kanto
Chiba Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
The peninsula east of Tokyo, home to Narita Airport and Naritasan temple, Tokyo Disney Resort, and the beaches and mountains of the Boso Peninsula.
Open Chiba on the map38 places on the map · 10 local favourites
Local tips
- TipOn a layover, Naritasan Shinshoji temple and its old approach street are a short train ride from Narita Airport.
- TipThe Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge-tunnel makes southern Boso a quick trip by car or highway bus from Tokyo and Kawasaki.
- DoHike or take the ropeway up Mount Nokogiri for the cliff-edge “View of Hell” lookout and a giant stone Buddha.
- Heads upLate-summer typhoons can disrupt trains around Boso; check JR service status before setting out.
- TipHidden gem: Sawara, a canal-side old merchant town near Narita, often called “Little Edo”.
What to eat
Chiba peanuts千葉の落花生
Chiba grows most of Japan’s peanuts; try freshly boiled ones in autumn or roasted ones any time.
Katsuura tantanmen勝浦タンタンメン
A fiery soy-based noodle soup with chilli oil and minced pork, made to warm up fishermen and divers.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Awa Jinja
安房神社 Temples & GoshuinchoThe main shrine of the Awa region in Tateyama, set in forest at the foot of a hill near the sea.
● Mostly localsKasamori Kannon
笠森観音 Temples & GoshuinchoA temple hall perched on a rock outcrop, supported by a lattice of wooden pillars. You can walk around its veranda.
● Mostly localsOtaki Castle
大多喜城 Sights & HistoryA small reconstructed castle keep in the countryside town of Otaki, housing a museum of samurai culture.
● Mostly localsEzawa, Katsuura
江ざわ Local FoodA long-running shop for Katsuura tantanmen, a fiery soy-based noodle soup with chilli oil and minced pork, created for cold fishermen.
● Mostly localsNakayama Hokekyoji
中山法華経寺 Temples & GoshuinchoA major Nichiren temple in Ichikawa with a five-storey pagoda and an old temple town.
● Mostly localsIinuma Honke
飯沼本家 Local FoodA sake brewery in Shisui with a restaurant and shop in its old estate, making Kinoene sake.
● Mostly localsSakura Samurai Residences
佐倉武家屋敷 Sights & HistoryPreserved samurai houses on a quiet hillside lane in the old castle town of Sakura.
● Mostly localsOkinoshima Island
沖ノ島 Nature & SceneryA small wooded island in Tateyama joined to the shore by a sandbar, with rock pools and clear water for snorkeling.
● Mostly localsAwamata Falls
粟又の滝 Nature & SceneryA long, gentle waterfall sliding over smooth rock, with a riverside path in the Yoro area.
● Mostly localsTokun Sake Brewery, Sawara
東薫酒造 Local FoodExperiencesA sake brewery in Sawara's old town offering tours and tastings in its historic buildings.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Tokyo Disneyland
東京ディズニーランド ExperiencesThe Disney theme park in Urayasu, next door to Tokyo DisneySea. Use the app to plan rides.
Kawatoyo Main Store, Narita
川豊 本店 Local FoodAn eel restaurant on Narita's temple approach where you can watch eels being filleted and grilled out front. A good last meal before a flight.
Naritasan Shinshoji
成田山新勝寺 Temples & GoshuinchoA huge temple complex with a three-storey pagoda and wooded park, easy to reach from Narita Airport.
Narita Omotesando
成田山表参道 ShoppingLocal FoodThe winding shopping street to Narita temple, lined with wooden shops selling eel, pickles, sweets and crafts.
Sogoreido Temple
Temples & GoshuinchoSogoreido is a temple in Narita dedicated to Kiuchi Sogoro, a revered martyr from the Edo period who sacrificed himself to petition for his village's welfare. It is…
Souvenirs to bring home
Peanut sweets, Choshi’s nure-senbei soft rice crackers and Choshi soy sauce are classic souvenirs.
When to go
Late winter to spring brings early rapeseed flowers to mild southern Boso, and early summer is good for beaches; watch for typhoons from late summer.