Chiba city

Chiba city is located about two hours east of Tokyo and is the urbanized gateway into Chiba prefecture’s rural peninsular of sparely populated towns and flat expanses of rice paddies.
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Chiba city is the last urbanized area before the expansive Boso peninsular to the east. While Chiba is not high on the list of most foreign tourists, there are some hidden gems that can be worth the trip out of Tokyo on the local trains. On the way back to Tokyo, a stop in Chiba city is well worth it for a break to walk about and eat. There are plenty of restaurants near the station including a favorite of When Japan, the Chiba local chain of Arigato Japanese style pubs, that are as authentic an experience of Japanese local nightlife as you can get (Location 1, Location 2). The menus have pictures.

Access and sightseeing in Chiba city

Chiba city is easiest to reach on the Sobu line train from Tokyo station. Chiba station is served by a number of train lines, a full map can be found here. The other usual way to get there is by the Joban Line via Saitama or the Chou-Sobu Line from Shinjuku. The latter is an easy option if you are travelling from the Shinjuku area but will take an hour and a half to arrive in Chiba city due to stopping at every station. All trains from the Boso Peninsular stop at Chiba.

Chiba city is famous for the longest suspending monorail in the world although it does not go very far outside the city. For tourists, the only place worth using the line for is the Chiba Zoo, which is known for its red panda.

Chiba park is a very short walk west from the station and has a picturesque lily pond. There is also Aobanomori Park on the east side that also houses as Natural History Museum. The park itself has many cherry trees that blossom in late April.

For religious building enthusiasts, Chiba Shrine (Japanese website) is a functional shine close to the station.

Lastly you can go up the 125 meter Chiba Port Tower (Japanese website) and see a potentially stunning view of Tokyo and Mount Fuji. Entrance fee is ¥420 for adults and ¥200 for children.

Opening Hours
[June ~ September] 9:00～21:00
[October ～ May ] 9:00～19:00（Mon-Fri)
[October ～ May ] 9:00～20:00（Weekends and holidays）