Pears are the local pride. This part of Chiba, east of Tokyo, has been growing Japanese pears since the Edo period, and the orchards of Ichikawa, Matsudo and Funabashi are among the oldest in the country, with roadside stalls selling fruit in late summer.
For a ride that began in the Okutama and Chichibu mountains, it is a long way from the hills. The roads here are straight and busy, with traffic lights and roundabouts, and the surface is good. Route 16 and the HokusÅ railway line cross the area, and Narita airport is thirty kilometres to the east, which means occasional aircraft overhead. The best riding is in early morning or late evening, when the traffic is thin and the autumn light is soft.
The plateau has a quiet history. In the Edo period, the government kept horses on pasture land here, the Maki, and the long tradition of horse breeding gave Chiba a link to racing that continues at Nakayama racecourse in Funabashi. The soil is a fine volcanic loam, good for vegetables, peanuts and fruit, and small farms still cultivate it between the houses. A few old shrines and temples, with big trees, stand in hollows and provide some shade.
Fuel and food are easy, with stations on every main road and family restaurants and convenience stores everywhere. In the pear season, from August to October, farm stands sell fresh fruit, and the juice and ice cream are good. The area also has small noodle shops and bakeries, and the local peanuts are boiled or roasted.
Buy a pear and eat it on the roadside. It is cold, juicy and sweet, and a fine way to celebrate the end of the ride.