This past Sunday I went on a day trip to Chōshi, Chiba! I’ve written out some of my highlights of the day, so I hope you enjoy reading!
The Bus Ride
There are several ways of getting to Chōshi, but I decided to take the bus because JR express trains are way overpriced I wanted to enjoy a different kind of view than my usual train view. And for these longer day trips I like taking the bus because once I get on I know I’m guaranteed seating. As much as I love the Keiyo Line, I know I will not be sitting down with the insane number of Disney fans also on the train.
Since the Shinjuku Bus Terminal is basically useless to me and never has buses to the places I want to go to, I had to go to the Tokyo Yaesu Bus Terminal to get on my bus. All of the buses heading towards Chiba are first come first serve, but you honestly don’t need to get there super early (unless it’s the start of a long holiday) because hardly anyone goes to Chiba from Tokyo first thing in the morning.
Once on the bus, things were pretty smooth sailing. There were no major traffic jams, and the driver was very good at his job. Not to mention it was nice being able to sit in comfortable seating the whole time! One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the view. I’m a big fan of solar panels and wind turbines, so getting to see a field full of solar farms with a massive wind farm off in the distance was a huge plus for me. Now that I think about it, this was probably the most exciting part of the trip for me!
Cape Inubō
My first stop was at Cape Inubō, which is famous for its lighthouse. You can actually get tickets to go up the lighthouse for 300yen, which I obviously did. The climb up was rough, especially on the last leg where the incline gets steeper, but the view from up top was definitely worth it. I think Chiba’s oceans are generally underrated because the water is surprisingly clear and beautiful, and you can really see how blue the ocean is from the lighthouse.
Next to the lighthouse was also a museum that honestly does not look open from the outside. On the inside, though, there was a lot of great information about lighthouses! They even had the lens used to shine the light on display, and it was amazing to see how big it is. On the second floor was an exhibit full of drawings of the lighthouse made by local children, which was fun to see as well.
Chōshi Electric Railway Line
After hanging around Cape Inubō for a while, it was time to head towards Chōshi station, which meant taking the Chōshi Electric Railway Line. I will not go into the history of it here, but it’s quite an interesting rail line. The trains that run on it are pretty vintage, and it’s definitely a must-see for train enthusiasts.
If you plan on getting on the Chōshi Electric Railway Line, then I would recommend getting the one-day pass. As of writing this, it is only 700yen which means you will get your money’s worth just by going roundtrip from Inubō to Chōshi.
Chōshi Station
There surprisingly isn’t much to do around Chōshi Station, as most of the stores around were out of business. Some of the buildings were even partially torn down and turned into parking lots, which also sat empty for the most part. It seems like it was a more active city in the late Showa era, but now sits as a shadow of its former self. While I liked how it was a quiet place and I could look around without getting run over by tourists, it was still a little sad seeing how empty the place was. I got some souvenirs at a shop next to the station, and headed back to Cape Inubō to get on the bus home.
Closing Thoughts
While I enjoyed my time here for the most part, I wish I was able to stick around and do more. Next time, I definitely want to go see the Byoubugaura cliffs and the Inuiwa rock, as well as going to the Horizon Observatory. Maybe next time I can go see the dolphins out in the ocean, as that is something you can apparently do! I was actually travelling with my mother this time, but I think part of the problem is that I simply like traveling alone better. Next time I do a trip like this, I think I will do a solo-trip. Especially when I go to Chiba again, as it seems I’m the only one who truly enjoys it lol.
And maybe next time I go, the highlight of my trip will be something other than the wind turbines I saw from the bus…
