Honchō is the central district of Funabashi, a big commuter city on the northern shore of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture. This is not riding country in itself; it is the urban sprawl you have to pass through to get from Tokyo towards the mountains and coasts beyond, and the best attitude is patience and a full tank.
Funabashi has been a stop on the road for centuries. During the Edo period it was a post town on the routes leading east from the capital, and its old shrine, Funabashi Daijingū, is said to be very old. Today the city is a dense mix of apartments, shopping streets, railway lines and expressways, with the vast Lalaport shopping complex and the Sanbanze tidal flats on the bay, where shellfish gatherers still work and migratory birds gather. The area is also known for its nashi pears, sold in late summer at roadside stands on the outskirts.
Riding here means traffic lights, scooters, delivery vans and lane splitting by locals. Routes 14 and 357 run along the bay, while the Keiyō Road and the Higashi-Kantō Expressway offer faster escapes. Expressways are tolled, and ETC cards make the process smoother, though cash lanes still exist. Summer heat and humidity can be oppressive in stop-start traffic, so plan an early departure.
Fuel stations are plentiful, many of them self-service, others with attendants who will guide you in, fill up and even wipe your mirror. Convenience stores are everywhere and make great rest stops, with coffee, onigiri and clean toilets. Take a break here, check your route, and head out towards the Bōsō Peninsula or north towards the mountains of Tochigi and Fukushima, where the real riding begins.