In 2020, Japan Wonder Travel was given a project by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to promote 14 selected prefectures that have been affected by typhoons. We offered 20 internationals living in Japan, the opportunity to travel to several destinations and share their experiences while travelling and also after.
Hernán – Chiba prefecture
My name is Hernán Darío Traini, I have lived in Japan for more then 3 years. Moreover, I am an Instagram influencer and I traveled to Chiba, for 2 days and 1 night to be able to show you what I saw. Above all, I was very excited to visit Shimizu Waterfall and Nokogiri. Let’s begin the trip! Do you come with me?
Starting in Tokyo Station
From Tokyo Station I took the 8:54 train towards Chiba. You can take the JR Sobu/Uchibo line and do the trip Tokyo-Kimitsu. In Kimitsu you should change the line until you arrive at Yasuda. The total cost is approximately ¥ 1,980. As for me, I arrived at 11:09 to Yasuda Station, ready for the next adventure.
Strawberry picking @ family farm Yasuda
I started my trip visiting the strawberry picking place in Yasuda. It is a 12 minute walk from the station. It is easy to reach and the people who work there are very friendly and helpful. The theme of the place is to go to a strawberry farm and eat everything you can. It is a very fun activity, especially with children and family. The strawberrys are big and you can eat them with some cream. Such a wonderful and delicious experience!
Strawberry picking @ family farm Yasuda
¥1.800
Open only in strawberry season
10am – 5pm
There is no time limit, everything you can eat
Nokogiriyama
After that foodie experience, my mission was to reach Nokogiriyama. From the strawberry farm you have to walk about one hour along the coast of Tokyo Bay, there are beautiful views and a lot of contact with nature. When you get to the place, you had to take a ropeway that will take you to the top of the mountain.
Before climbing the ropeway, you have the possibility to leave your things inside some lockers and you also have the opportunity to go to the bathroom.
The round trip cost for the ropeway is ¥950.
When you reach the top using the ropeway, you will see amazing views of Japanese nature! The terrain for walking requires a bit of agility, as it is quite irregular and there is a lot of wind because of the height that you are reaching.
To enter to the tourist spot you have to pay ¥600 for adults and ¥400 for children.
Walking through Nokogiriyama is a good way to exercise in contact with nature, you can breathe in very good and fresh air.
My trip took place in March 2020 and there were some points that were closed because of the typhoon in the year before. But, don’t worry, you can also visit the other areas without any problems and indeed, it is very beautiful!
During the tour you will find the sculpture of Shaku-Shaku Kannon, the goddess of mercy. It measures more than 30 meters height, carved in 1966 in commemoration of the dead of the Second World War.
After the tour, I went to the Kanpo hotel no yado Kamogawa to check in and take a rest, because a new and exciting second day was waiting for me.
To get to the hotel I went to Hama-Kanaya train station towards Awa-Kamogawa station. The trip lasts approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.
The hotel has a free onsen for guests and also the option to pay ¥1,200 for a private onsen. It also has a karaoke room!
Day 2
Breakfast of local food at the hotel
Next day I had the chance of eating the hotel breakfast and indeed, it was a very varied and healthy menu. You can find fish, natto, miso soup, rice, tamagoyaki, salad, etc. The cost of the full menu is ¥1,400, preferably you must make a reservation the day before.
After breakfast I went to the next tourist point called Hanabatake Road.
Nanabatake Road
Nanabatake road is a very nice destination to take photos. It is a field full of Canola flowers. All in all, you won’t spend much time at this place, just about 15 or 20 minutes. The opening hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
After taking some photos I headed to Nomizu no Taki Waterfall by taxi. The cost for the taxi from Nanabatake Road is approximately ¥4,000.
Nomizu no Taki Waterfall
Nomizu no Taki Waterfall was awarded for being the top 10 of the most beautiful places to photograph in Japan in 2019. Admission is free.
The ideal time to go there is between 6:40 and 7:20 in the morning in order to take the best photos of the waterfall and the sunlight. However you can take beautiful photos at any time of the day. During the months of May and July it is even possible to see fireflies at night, something very difficult to see in the city of Tokyo.
Conclusion
Chiba is a great destination to visit if you like nature and hiking. The ideal is to visit it at least 2 days and one night to be able to do several activities, although if you wish and you are staying in Tokyo (for example Shinjuku) you can go in the morning and return at night to your hotel. Super recommended!
Hotel he stayed during the trip
We were very excited to work with Hernán-san, and all the other guests for this project, and will continue to do our best to promote the less known destinations as much as we can. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram to find another project with us.
And of course, if you need any help to find hidden gems in Japan, Japan Wonder Travel will happily help you out.
Happy travelling!
