Traveling in Japan✥Sensational City That Meets Another Attraction of Japan Nagareyama
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Recently we went to a small local town that's close to Tokyo. That place is called Nagareyama and it's located in Japan's Chiba Prefecture. Nagareyama City, a city with a population of about 180,000, is a popular residential area (because the rent is so cheap!) with convenient transportation that can take you to Tokyo in about 20 minutes.
In Nagareyama there is Tone Canal which leads to the center of Tokyo's Edogawa, and its original purpose was for carrying goods by ship quickly and safely to Tokyo around the 1890's. So just on that information alone, you can expect there is a lot of unknown history and things to do here.
Which is whhhhhhhy, we decided to write about it and share with you all!!
1. Cafe ONIWA
A majority of the area in Nagareyama is covered with trees and other greenery and neat little cafes are hidden all over. Cafe Oniwa, for example, is the representative cafe and restaurant of Nagareyama. Cafe Oniwa is pretty hidden, but it has a lot of character and unlike any cafe or restaurant that we've been to in Japan yet. There are a lot of cafes and shops in Nagareyama that have renewed buildings because the city subsidizes them all. It is said that about 7 shops and cafés have been created as a subsidy system to prevent some of the depressing phenomena that historic buildings disappear. That is something you don't see in Tokyo.
the food was all healthy dishes made with only vegetables and greens.
☆CAFE ONIWA
534-2, Higashifukai, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
Google Maps
⏰: Sun to Thurs. 11am~5pm (lunch L.O. 3pm, cafe L.O. 4pm)
📞: 080-9705-0020
🖳CAFE ONIWA official website (JPN)
2. tronc
This 100-year-old building has been newly renovated and has the atmosphere of an old house.
and this cafe's #1 recommended menu is toast and mirin butter.
We didn't know what to really expect with mirin butter, but it added a subtle sweetness.
☆tronc
6-1300, Ka, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
Google Maps
⏰: 1pm~9pm (Wed and Thurs closed)
📞: 04-7126-0800
🖳Cafe tronc official website (JPN)
1. ISSA-SOJU MEMORIAL HALL (一茶双樹記念館)
a representative of the Edo era, spent an era.
It is said to be preserved as a historic site and a place where citizens can relax.
Although it is a historical site, you can go inside the building and have a cup of tea
while gazing at a small yet well-kept Japanese garden.
☆ISSA-SOJU MEMORIAL HALL (一茶双樹記念館)
6-670-1, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba Prefecture
Google Maps
⏰: 9am~5pm (Mondays and 12/29~1/3 closed)
💴: Adults 100yen, middle schoolers and under 50yen
📞: 04-7150-5750
🖳ISSA-SOJU MEMORIAL HALL official website (JPN)
– Nagareyama sightseeing guide application page (English)
→ There is a facility for those that want to experience in Nagareyama.
If you don't understand Japanese, you can apply for a free English guide by using the above page.
2. KUBOTA MISO SOY SAUCE (窪田味噌醤油)
So Kubota Miso Soy Sauce, a factory to make miso and soy sauce, started in 1925.
The building itself is beautiful and looks so old, but go inside and you'll see a space provided the raw materials of soy sauce and miso,
as well as some of the "only in Nagareyama" condiments that contain these special materials.
FOR SOY SAUCE
・On the right is daizu (soybeans) and the left is kouji,
something that assists the fermentation process.
Apparently, kouji is often used in top skincare products.
FOR MISO
・From right to left is daizu (soybeans), wheat, then a mix of the two.
☆Kubota Miso Soy Sauce (窪田味噌醤油)
691 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba Prefecture
Google Maps
⏰: 9am~5pm (weekends closed)
📞: 04-7125-6111
🖳Kubota Miso Soy Sauce official website (JPN)
– Nagareyama sightseeing guide application page (English)
→ There is a facility for those that want to experience in Nagareyama.
If you don't understand Japanese, you can apply for a free English guide by using the above page.
3. KUBOTA SAKE (窪田酒造)
Here at the distillery, they took us through the Japanese sake brewing process; the rice polishing, rice steaming, koji making, preparing the seed mash (shubo), moromi fermentation, pressing, filtration, pasteurization (hiire), aging, and adjustment. At the end is a table with all these different sake and mirin for you and your friends to taste! We couldn't believe how sweet natural, pure mirin was!
685 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba Prefecture
Google Maps
⏰: 8:30am~5:30pm
📞: 04-7125-3331
🖳Kubota Sake official website (JPN)
– Nagareyama sightseeing guide application page (English)
→ There is a facility for those that want to experience in Nagareyama.
If you don't understand Japanese, you can apply for a free English guide by using the above page.
4. NAGAREYAMA MUSEUM (流山街中ミュージアム)
Manjo "Shiromirin" (clear mirin), the specialty of Nagareyama city marked its 200th anniversary in 2014. Taking this opportunity, Nagareyama Honcho Machinaka Museum was set up to exhibit the historical material on Shiromirin on the walls of Kikkoman Corporation in Nagareyama which inherits the flavor of original "Manjo," one of the two big brands of Shiromirin in Nagareyama. This museum exhibits the rare items such as the oldest mirin label in existence in Nagareyama, the old posters of "Appare" of the Akimotos and Manjo of the Horikiris which led the mirin industry, etc. The museum aims to attract many visitors to Nagareyama, and to promote the vitalization and tourism in Nagareyama Honcho as a new tourist spot of an outdoor intown museum.
2. KALEIDOSCOPE GALLERY MISEGURA (見世蔵)
For reference, kaleidoscope refers to a device that allows you to look at a unique pattern by
reflecting several glasses in a long cylinder.
Although kaleidoscopes are a little unfamiliar to some cultures, they're easy to use. Apparently, there are even world conferences that value the view and designs one sees when they use it.
We never thought there would be a place where you can see SO many kaleidoscopes all in one spot. There are a lot of kinds of kaleidoscopes ranging in shapes and colors, you are sure to have a good time here.
2-101-1, Nagareyama, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
Google Maps
⏰: 10am~5pm (every Mon & Tues closed)
📞: 04-7190-5100
🖳Kaleidoscope Misegura official website (JPN)
– Nagareyama sightseeing guide application page (English)
→ There is a facility for those that want to experience in Nagareyama.
If you don't understand Japanese, you can apply for a free English guide by using the above page.
3. SASAYA (笹屋商店)
The store Sasaya is a bedding shop with a history of about 155 years. One may not think that this place would be very popular, but in fact, it's pretty well known for Japanese futon, pillow, and blanket repairs. Many Japanese still sleep on futons, a cotton pad mattress on the floor, but once it wears and tears or loses its padding, they just throw it away. But by coming here you can save your bedding, save your money (because it's cheaper obviously), and save the hassle of figuring out the proper way of throwing out bedding.
☆SASAYA (笹屋商店)
1-155 Nagareyama, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
Google Maps
⏰: 10am~6pm (Wed + every 2nd and 3rd Thurs closed)
📞: 04-7158-0147 📠(FAX): 04-7199-9780
🖳SASAYA official website (JPN)
– Nagareyama sightseeing guide application page (English)
→ There is a facility for those that want to experience in Nagareyama.
If you don't understand Japanese, you can apply for a free English guide by using the above page.
Nagareyama City is really simple to get to.
It being so close to Tokyo is an added bonus!
There are two main ways to get there though:
1. Ryutetsu (local Nagareyama train)
2. Tsukuba Express (subway)
1. Ryutetsu (local Nagareyama train)
The Ryutetsu is a local railway line only 3.5 miles (5.7km) long.
It takes a little more time than using the Tsukuba Express,
however by taking the Ryutetsu you get to see the countryside train stations. To use the Ryutetsu,
you need to first transfer at
Mabashi Station (馬橋駅) on the JR Joban Line (常磐線).
1. Tsukuba Express (subway)
The fastest and easiest way of getting there is by the Tsukuba Express (つくばエクスプレス), you can get there in 20mins.
Tsukuba Express is a subway passing through popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo such as Asakusa and Akihabara.
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Details
NAME:Nagareyama
MAP
千葉県流山市流山１丁目
534-2, Higashifukai, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
6-1300, Ka, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
6-670-1, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba Prefecture
691 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba Prefecture
685 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba Prefecture
3 Cho-me, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
2-101-1, Nagareyama, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
1-155 Nagareyama, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba
ACCESS:Nagareyama Station
http://www.kanko-nagareyama.jp/
https://cometojapankuru.blogspot.jp/2018/01/traveling-in-japan-japanese-travel.html
CONTACT TEL:04-7168-1047
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TOKYO
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Tokyo (東京) is Japan's busy capital, and the most populous metropolitan area in the world. While the city as a whole is quite modern, crowded with skyscrapers and bustling crowds, Tokyo also holds onto its traditional side in places like the Imperial Palace and Asakusa neighborhood. It's one of the world's top cities when it comes to culture, the arts, fashion, games, high-tech industries, transportation, and more.
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CHUBU
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The Chubu Region (中部地方) is located right in the center of Japan's main island, and consists of 9 prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi. It's primarily famous for its mountains, as the region contains both Mt. Fuji and the Japanese Alps. The ski resorts in Niigata and Nagano also draw visitors from around the world, making it a popular winter destination.
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NAGANO
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Nagano Prefecture's popularity starts with a wealth of historic treasures, like Matsumoto Castle, Zenkoji Temple, and Togakushi Shrine, but the highlight might just be the prefecture's natural vistas surrounded by the "Japanese Alps." Nagano's fruit is famous, and there are plenty of places to pick it fresh, and the area is full of hot springs, including Jigokudani Monkey Park―where monkeys take baths as well! Thanks to the construction of the Hokuriku shinkansen line, Nagano is easily reachable from the Tokyo area, adding it to plenty of travel itineraries. And after the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, ski resorts like Hakuba and Shiga Kogen are known around the world.
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NAGOYA
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Aichi Prefecture sits in the center of the Japanese islands, and its capital city, Nagoya, is a center of politics, commerce, and culture. While Aichi is home to major industry, and is even the birthplace of Toyota cars, it's proximity to the sea and the mountains means it's also a place with beautiful natural scenery, like Saku Island, Koijigahama Beach, Mt. Horaiji. Often used a stage for major battles in Japanese history, Sengoku era commanders like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu left their own footprints on Aichi, and historic buildings like Nagoya Castle, Inuyama Castle, and those in Meiji Mura are still around to tell the tale.
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NIIGATA
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Niigata is a prefecture on Japan's main island of Honshu, situated right on the coast of the Sea of Japan, and abundant with the gifts of nature. It's known for popular ski resorts such as Echigo-Yuzawa, Japanese national parks, and natural hot spring baths, plus local products like fresh seafood, rice, and sake. Visitors often spend time in the prefectural capital, Niigata City, or venture across the water to Sado Island.
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SHIZUOKA
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Shizuoka Prefecture is sandwiched between eastern and western Japan, giving the prefecture easy access to both Tokyo and Osaka. Not only is it known for beautiful natural attractions, with everything from Mount Fuji to Suruga Bay, Lake Hamanako, and Sumata Pass―Shizuoka's Izu Peninsula is known as a go-to spot for hot springs lovers, with famous onsen like Atami, Ito, Shimoda, Shuzenji, and Dogashima. Shizuoka attracts all kinds of travelers thanks to historic connections with the Tokugawa clan, the Oigawa Railway, fresh eel cuisine, Hamamatsu gyoza, and famously high-quality green tea.
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KANSAI
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Kansai (関西) is a region that includes Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga Prefectures. Kansai contained Japan's ancient capital for hundreds of years, and it's making a comeback as one of the most popular parts of Japan. Kyoto's temples and shrines, Osaka Castle, and the deer of Nara are all considered must-sees. Plus, the people of Kansai are especially friendly, making it a fun place to hang out.
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KYOTO
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Kyoto flourished as the capital of Japan between the years 794 and 1100, becoming a center for poilitics and culture, and to this day it's a great place for close encounters with Japanese history. The cobbled streets of Gion, the atmospheric road to Kiyomizudera Temple, Kinkakuji's golden walls and countless historic attractions, even Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge―Kyoto is a place of many attractions. With new charms to experience throughout the seasons, travelers can't stop themselves from returning again and again.
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NARA
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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OSAKA
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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