Chiba Prefecture Specialty Products, Souvenirs, Shrines and Temples, and Travel | 47 Prefecture Guide

Chiba is surrounded by the sea on three sides, with low mountains as its defining terrain. Even in winter, it is relatively warm, and something can be harvested throughout the year. This is why it ranks near the top nationwide in agricultural output.

Specialties

It produces about 80% of Japan’s peanuts. This is especially true around Yachimata City and Tomisato City. The well-drained volcanic-ash soil was suited to this crop, which bears fruit underground.

It also ranks No. 1 in Japan for the harvest volume of Japanese pears. Sweet potatoes, loquats, and daikon radishes also rank highly.

Chiba has the highest shipment volume of soy sauce in Japan. Noda and Choshi are the two major production areas. Soybeans and wheat could be grown there, salt was available, and products could be sent to Edo by water transport. It was a place where all four conditions came together.

Nori, sardines, and Boso loquats also come from this prefecture.

Souvenirs

Peanut sweets are the main souvenirs. Boiled peanuts, peanut monaka, and peanut cream.

Then Soy sauce. A small bottle is easy to take home. Boshu uchiwa fans work both as practical items and as decorations.

Shrines and Temples

Katori Jingu Shrine (Katori City) is the head shrine of the roughly 400 Katori shrines across Japan in total.

It is paired with Kashima Jingu Shrine in Ibaraki, and both shrines enshrine a deity of martial power. On the shrine grounds, as at Kashima, there is a kaname-ishi stone, and legend says the two kaname-ishi stones are connected underground, holding down the head and tail of a giant catfish. The two shrines across the Tone River share one story. This means the area was connected by water, not divided by prefectural borders.

Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple (Narita City) is a temple that ranks among the top in Japan for New Year’s shrine and temple visits. It is said to have been founded in 940 and enshrines Fudo Myo-o. Eel restaurants line the approach because eels were caught in Lake Inbanuma.

Sightseeing

Kujukuri Beach is a sandy beach stretching for about 66 kilometers. It is said to be one of the places in Japan where the first sunrise of the year can be seen earliest (excluding remote islands).

The autumn leaves in Yoro Gorge appear from late November to early December, among the latest in the Kanto region. The townscape of Sawara is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Traditional Crafts

Nationally designated items are Boshu Uchiwa Fans and Chiba artisan tools, making two items.

Boshu uchiwa is one of Japan’s three major uchiwa fans, alongside Marugame in Kagawa and Kyo in Kyoto. Its distinctive feature is the “round handle,” made by using a single round bamboo stalk as the handle and finely splitting the tip to form the ribs.

For details, see [VILLAGE Report vol.37] The Third of Japan’s Three Great Uchiwa Fans

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References: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries “Crop Statistics Survey,” Chiba Prefecture, Noda City, Choshi City, Minamiboso City, Katori Jingu Shrine, Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries — Value Village Editorial Team