Choshi

Kanto, Japan · Sea / Beach, Town / small city

A fishing port at the easternmost tip of the Kanto region, with the Inubosaki Lighthouse, the wave-eroded Byobugaura cliffs, the port's panoramic tower, the Yamasa soy sauce factory (with tours), and the small Choshi Electric Railway local train, an experience in itself.

The essentials

Getting there

Train — Direct 'Shiosai' limited express from Tokyo, no transfer, via the Sobu Main Line through Sakura (a physically different route from the one that passes through Narita and Sawara): ~1h50min, ¥3,510 unreserved. Once in Choshi, the picturesque Choshi Electric Railway (not covered by any JR pass, doesn't accept Suica/Pasmo, fares ¥180-350 or a ¥700 day pass) connects downtown with the lighthouse and other points along the coast.

Frequently asked questions about Choshi

What to do in Choshi: 24 activities

• Inubosaki Lighthouse 1 h must-see

  A stone lighthouse at the easternmost point of the Kanto region, with Pacific views from its upper platform; among the first places on mainland Japan to see the sunrise.

• Byobugaura Cliffs 1 h

  Sedimentary rock cliffs shaped by centuries of wave erosion, along the coast south of the city.

• Choshi Electric Railway 1 h

  A small single-car local train connecting downtown Choshi with the lighthouse and other points along the coast, full of character (cash or day-pass only, no Suica/Pasmo).

• Choshi fish market 1 h

  One of the largest fishing ports in Japan by volume landed; morning auctions of freshly arrived fish and very fresh seafood on sale.

• Enpuku-ji temple (Iinuma Kannon) 1 h

  Stop number 27 on the Bando pilgrimage of 33 temples, with a five-storey pagoda rebuilt in 2009 above a temple whose image, legend says, came out of the sea in fishermen's nets.

• First sunrise of the year at Cape Inubosaki 2 h only 1 Jan

  On 1 January, thousands of people climb the cape to see the first sun of the year: it is the earliest sunrise in mainland Japan.

• Nure-senbei workshop at Inubo station 0.75 h

  Grill and brush your own moist rice cracker with sauce: the product that literally saved the Choshi railway line from bankruptcy.

• Choshi as a sacred site of anime and trains 2 h

  Officially recognised since 2022 among Japan's 88 anime sacred sites; on top of that comes the railway cult of the Choshi Dentetsu, with its self-parodying merchandise.

• Choshi Geopark 2.5 h

  A Japanese geopark with Cretaceous marine strata around 120 million years old, designated a Natural Monument, walkable from the lighthouse itself with guided tours.

• Choshi port festivals 3 h only one Saturday in early August

  In August, a mikoshi parade and fireworks over the harbour; in spring, the Oshio Matsuri at Kawaguchi shrine prays for abundant catches and safety at sea.

• Coastal section of the Kanto Fureai-no-Michi 3 h

  A signposted trail linking cliffs, lighthouse and fishing harbours, with the climb up Mount Atago as a viewpoint.

• Historic Higeta Shoyu soy sauce works 1 h

  Founded in 1616, the second great soy sauce house of Choshi, with centuries-old fermentation halls; it complements a visit to the Yamasa factory.

• Inubosaki hot springs facing the Pacific 1.5 h

  Several ryokan and hotels on the cape open their rotenburo to day visitors, with the open ocean directly in front.

• Port tower and Wosse 21 market 1.5 h

  A 57-metre observation tower over the largest fishing port in Japan, with a market hall alongside where you can eat seafood just off the boats.

• Sardine, kinme snapper and local craft beer 1.5 h

  Sardine (iwashi) and Pacific kinme snapper are the port's signature catches, and there is local craft beer to go with them in front of the lighthouse.

• Sarutahiko Shrine 0.75 h

  A thousand-year-old shrine dedicated to Sarutahiko, the god who guides travellers, much visited as a power spot and a regular stop for goshuin seal collectors.

• Surfing and Pacific beaches 3 h

  Pacific breaks at the beaches of Choshi marina and Nagasaki, with summer swimming at the foot of the Byobugaura cliffs.

• The hill where the curve of the Earth is visible 1 h

  A 330-degree viewpoint over the Pacific and the peninsula where, on clear days, the curvature of the horizon is literally apparent.

• The thousand-year wisteria of Myofuku-ji 1 h only late April to early May

  A weeping wisteria some 750 years old next to the station, lit at night during its festival in early May.

• Tokawa fishing village 1.5 h

  A railway terminus from 1923, narrow lanes with fish hung out to dry and the feel of old Japan, at the end of the train line.

• Yamasa soy sauce factory 1 h booking

  A guided tour (reservation required, weekdays) of one of Japan's oldest soy sauce factories, operating since the 17th century.

• Choshi Chijimi cotton crepe 1 h

  A local 18th-century fabric with a characteristic crinkled texture, still hand-woven at a small workshop-museum in the city.

• Kuroshio Yosakoi dance festival 2.5 h only around 23 November

  In November, yosakoi dance troupes from across the region take over the streets of the centre with choreography and music at full volume.

• Ouchi Kappa House 1 h

  A private collection of more than 4,000 objects devoted to the kappa, the water creature of Japanese folklore, assembled by a local resident over decades.

What only happens on specific dates

• First sunrise of the year at Cape Inubosaki 1 Jan
• The thousand-year wisteria of Myofuku-ji late April to early May
• Choshi port festivals one Saturday in early August
• Kuroshio Yosakoi dance festival around 23 November

Chains well with

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