Don’t you think it is killing two birds with one stone if you can enjoy running and traveling in a new destination? Going on a brisk run to enjoy the scenery and then later getting out to take in the sites and taste the local cuisine is a great way to enjoy a trip.

My friend from Okinawa invited me to join him for the Road Race Chikura, a half marathon in Minamiboso, Chiba. At first, I was reluctant to accept his offer because I did not want to use all my summer leave staying in the area where I live. However, I changed my mind because I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about my home prefecture.

About Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture starts just outside Tokyo’s eastern border and spreads southeast to the Pacific Ocean. The prefecture is famous for Narita International Airport, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Makuhari Messe, the second largest convention center in Japan. Though Chiba may seem to be urban, it is actually blessed with a lot of nature. It is home to the most beaches of all Japan’s prefectures and is also where you’ll find Minami Boso Quasi-National Park and the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.

Most of the prefecture is on the Kanto Plain. Thanks to that, Chiba’s gross agricultural production is ranked fourth behind Hokkaido, Kagoshima and its neighbor Ibaraki, according to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In addition, Chiba is known for processing a large number of fish and seafood through its many ports.

Beyond the sprawling green spaces, beaches and domestic products, Chiba has plenty more that I was looking forward to discovering.

Daifukuji Temple in Tateyama

Before reaching our hotel, we stopped for a visit at Daifukuji Temple. This temple on a mountain slope is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist deity of mercy.

The nearest station is the unmanned JR Nakofunakata. Before leaving the station to go to the temple, we made sure to check the train schedule since they don’t stop at Nakofunakata often.

It took us about 15 minutes to get to Daifukuji Temple and another 15 minutes to climb up to the building dedicated to Kannon. It was a good warm-up for the next day’s half marathon. Though it was a cloudy day, the scenery was beautiful. I could see Tateyama City, a fishing town with simple homes, and the tranquil sea beyond. Maybe the reason why the temple was built on this mountainside was so Kannon and visitors alike could enjoy the stunning view.

Daifukuji Temple

Pension Beach House in Minamiboso

After enjoying the temple and the magnificent views, we hopped on a train to JR Chikura Station in Minamiboso City, which is the southernmost municipality in the prefecture. The hotel was another 15-minute walk along a magnificent oceanfront street from the station.

I thought my friend was enjoying the view as well until he mentioned that this was the first time he’d ever seen a black sand beach. Compared to Okinawa’s white, sandy beaches, the ones in Chiba may not be so beautiful.

Pension Beach House, our hotel for the night, was a pretty, two-story blue and white building owned by a man and his daughter. In the café room, we met a lady who was also going to run in the race. Chatting with perfect strangers is another interesting thing that happens when you’re traveling.

Pension Beach House

Road Race Chikura in Minamiboso

After a good night’s rest, we made our way to the race starting point in Minamiboso at 9 a.m. Runners choose to run five, 10 or 20 kilometers. Since my friend is an experienced marathon runner, he went for the 20K option. Since I did not even practice one step prior to the race, I opted for the 10K.

The course was along the coastline, so I enjoyed the scenery while running. Though there were few residences in the area, some of the locals were along the course cheering us on. As I did not practice at all, I was beaten by almost all the participants, but I still somehow completed the race.

My friend and I had plans to do more sightseeing after we were done with the race at noon. But, we were so exhausted that instead we went ahead to our next hotel, Guest House Saito. The guest house served up a hearty dinner with many dishes, including splendid alfonsino fish boiled in soy broth, tempura vegetables, finely chopped raw horse mackerel, turbo shellfish and grilled prawn. We could not believe how much food we were served having only paid about 6,000 yen per person for our one night stay, which included dinner and breakfast.

Road Race Chikura in Minamiboso City

Guest House Saito

Morning Market in Katsuura

The following day, we dragged ourselves to breakfast at the guest house before resuming our sightseeing. On the agenda for the day was a visit to one of Japan’s top markets, Katsuura Morning Market. The market is over 400 years old and has about 80 stalls selling fresh fish, seafood and local produce.

One of the signature items at this market is locally-caught bonito fish. Make sure to grab some dried bonito flakes from the market, as the prices and quality are excellent compared to those in Tokyo.

That morning our legs were killing us. It felt like I was dragging two zombies, each biting at an ankle with each step I took. From JR Katsuura Station, it was a painful walk to the market where we arrived a little after 10 a.m. The market runs from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., but some stores were already closed or sold out by the time we arrived.

Dang it! We should have left the guest house earlier. The market was what we were most looking forward to visiting. Anyway, we had no time to cry so we took a train to Choshi City, our next destination on the itinerary.

Katsuura Morning Market

Cape Inubosaki Lighthouse in Choshi

From JR Choshi Station, we took a train to Cape Inubosaki in the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, known for its incredible scenery. The cape’s lighthouse was built in 1874 and is the 32-meter-high symbol of Choshi City. In 2020, the lighthouse was designated a national important cultural asset.

We visited the lighthouse and climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the top. It was windy and chilly on the gallery deck and I felt the harshness of nature as the waters whipped the coastline.

Cape Inubosaki

Yamasa Soy Sauce Factory in Choshi

Chiba Prefecture is the center of Japan’s extensive soy sauce production. The prefecture is responsible for one third of the domestic production and three of the major Japanese soy sauce companies call Chiba home.

Usually, a tour of the Yamasa Soy Sauce Factory in Choshi City requires a reservation, but we were in luck because we were the only visitors when we dropped by. The staff allowed us to take a tour and check out the factory operation. First, we watched a 20-minute video (Japanese only) then had a guided tour of the facility. Though no photography or videography was allowed in the factory except a photo spot beside the souvenir shop, it was fun to listen to the guide and experience the changes in the aroma of soy sauce at different points in the process.

At the end of the tour, we were given a souvenir soy sauce bottle, which was great since the tour itself was also free.

The tour is only available in Japanese, but they have an English brochure to follow along.

Yamasa Soy Sauce Factory

Chiba has many tourist attractions that even I, a resident of the prefecture, didn’t know about. Whether you decide to challenge yourself to a marathon, there is plenty to see without physically exerting yourself like we did. Consider Chiba for your next trip in Japan!

Camp Zama

Naval Air Facility Atsugi

Yokosuka Naval Base

Yokota Air Base

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