Chiba prefecture is the thumb of land that sticks into the Pacific east of Tokyo, and its southern end is lower, softer and far more rural than most visitors expect, with ridges of forested hills, small rice valleys and a long coast of surf beaches. Katsuura, with twenty-two thousand people, and Ōhara and Kamogawa, both a little further along the coast, are the main towns.
The market at Katsuura has been held on the streets near the harbour since the sixteenth century, and in the early morning stalls sell fish, vegetables, dried goods and pickles, while locals eat the local tantanmen, a spicy sesame-and-chilli noodle soup invented to warm up fishermen. Ōhara is known for its autumn festival, in which men carry heavy portable shrines into the surf, and in the hills nearby, the Yōrō valley offers waterfalls and forest walks. Kamogawa, on the south coast, has a famous aquarium with orcas and dolphins.
For riders, the Bōsō hills are a surprise. The roads are narrow, winding and often empty, with short, steep climbs, hairpins in the cedar woods and sudden views of the sea. The surface is generally good, but leaf litter and damp make shaded corners slippery, and in summer the humidity is intense. The weather here is mild, and the peninsula stays green and warm when Tokyo is cold, with winter camellias and early spring flowers along the coast. Typhoons can bring heavy rain in late summer and autumn, so check the forecast.
Rip currents are a real danger, so swim only where lifeguards are on duty, and be careful of waves. Fuel and food are plentiful along the coast, with seafood the speciality: fresh sashimi, grilled fish and, in a few fishing ports on the southern tip, whale, a local tradition.
The label says Tokyo and Kantō rides, a broad title for what is a rather quiet and little-visited corner. Begin early, take the hill roads, and finish with a bowl of noodles by the sea.