We continue on our exploration of interesting sights along Uchibo Line in Chiba Prefecture. From Kanaya International Shooting Range, head back to Hamakanaya Station. As you make your way there, you can stop for lunch at the Ajihana restaurant near the station. The restaurant by the sea serves delicious seafood. Try the dish mekake don - associated with women divers who harvest seaweed – and tororo (grated yam) ramen, which comes with arame seaweed. After leaving Hamakanaya Station, you will soon see a “castle”, and to find out more, alight at the Awa-Katsuyama Station. After walking for 10 minutes, you will discover that the “castle” is in fact an observation deck. The roof makes it looks like a castle from afar. Built 18 years ago at the top of Mt. Daikoku, it has an altitude of 74m and offers panoramic views of the sea.
Return to the station and continue your adventure along Uchibo Line. The line runs into mountains after passing the Tateyama area. Get off at Kokonoe station and visit a ranch, which is 10 minutes away by foot. It has cows, horses, pigs and goats. The only ranch that is located along the Uchibo Line, Sudo Farm has been open since the beginning of the Showa period. If you make an appointment in advance, you will be able to try various activities such as butter making. You can even get to taste the freshly made butter.
As you continue your train ride, enjoy the scenic view of the Pacific Ocean from the train window. Get off at Futomi Station, and go in search of a unique scenic spot. The Niemonjima island is five minutes away by boat, which can be taken from the port. The private island is owned by the Niemon family, which has been living on the island for centuries. The family also opens part of their house to visitors of the island. The best scenic spot of the island is located at the top of the island. From here, you can get a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. For those who get sea sick easily and are unable to take the boat to the island, fear not. You can visit an inn called Sotobou instead and enjoy its hot spring and scenic views. End your day trip by making your way to Awa-Kamogawa terminal, the last station of Uchibo Line.
Our next trip in search of interesting sights takes place along the Agatsuma Line in Gunma Prefecture. The scenic local line has 18 stations between Shibukawa and Omae. Make your way to Shibukawa Station by first taking a train from Takasaki Station. Enjoy the beautiful view of trees, farms and mountains such as Mt. Akagi from the train window as the train passes by the Joshu area. Shibukawa is known as the “bellybutton of Japan” due to its location in the middle of Japan. Start your adventure at Shibukawa itself, by visiting the Japan Chanson Museum, which is less than 10 minutes away by foot from the station. You will be enthralled by the Western-style building and its beautiful surroundings. Opened in 1995, the museum features several interesting objects, such as the costumes of famous Chanson singers, and even their favourite items. The museum also holds live concerts every week. The director of the museum is famous Chanson singer Hiroshi Ashino, and if you are lucky, you may be able to catch him perform too.
Continue on your journey along the Agatsuma Line, while enjoying the scenic greenery from the train. After the train passes by the Agatsuma River, you will arrive at Ichishiro. From the train window, you will see a sign “the best of Japan", which gives you a good reason to alight and satisfy your curiosity. Here, you will discover a Saikachi tree- a natural monument of Gunma - whose fruits are used to wash horses! It is called “the best of Japan” because of its height and age. Its fruits are smashed and mixed with hot water to make a lather. In fact, right after WWII, people used to come and pick the fruits and used them as a substitute for soap. After this unexpected find, roam around the area for other interesting discoveries. You will come across a teahouse along the national highway which sells local vegetables and the popular Aomori apples which are quite cheap. Alternatively you can pick up the more expensive Hirosaki Fiji apple for 800 yen (S$12.3).
Re-board the train and continue your journey. If you are hungry, look out for the sign “Joshu beef” and get off at the station. Make your way to a restaurant near the station. Here you can indulge in Joshu beef at a reasonable price. A lunch set costs 1050 yen (S$16.10). After lunch, board the train, and look forward to your next interesting sight – the Tarusawa tunnel, the shortest tunnel of Japan. It comes after Iwashima Station. If you are not alert, you can easily miss it when you are inside the train. So, if you want to get a closer look, get off at Kawarayu-Onsen Station and walk for about 20 minutes along the national highway, while admiring several mountain flowers along the way. You will be able to see the train passing through the short tunnel from above the national highway. You can also visit the scenic Agatsuma Keikoku ravine in the vicinity, from where you can enjoy views of the different seasons. It is also a famous spot for autumn leaves. End your day trip by taking the train to the last stop along the Agastuma Line – the Omae terminal.
The next trip in search of interesting things takes place in the Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures, along the Kanto and Moka railways respectively. Begin your trip from Toride Station of Kanto Railway and travel on the Joso Line in Ibaraki Prefecture first. It has 24 stations starting from Toride Station, with the last station being Shimodate terminal. Make your first stopover at Mizukaido, which is famous for its Amanoya senbei (rice crackers). As the train approaches the station, you will see a Brazilian flag. You will discover that there is a Brazilian supermarket here, to cater to the 5,000 Brazilians who work in Mizukaido. It sells imported goods such as sausages, and you can even savour Brazilian cuisine here. Try pastel, a Brazilian fast food item made by wrapping minced meat in a pastry and then deep frying it. There is even a bakery which sells freshly baked bread, suitable for making a Brazilian favourite – the mortadella sandwich. Who knew one could encounter a ‘mini Brazil’ in Japan?
Get on the train and resume your journey. Enjoy the view of the countryside as the train passes Mizukaido. Look out for a “castle” from the train window and alight at Ishige Station. Walk for about 10 minutes in the direction of the “castle”. The Toyota castle is actually a historical museum. Built 16 years ago at a cost of 2.2 billion yen, it features exhibitions of Kyoto's traditional works. It even has a big hall which can accommodate 1500 people. Go to the observation room on the 7th floor, and enjoy the view of the Kanto Plain and Mt. Tsukuba. On a clear day, you can even see Tokyo's newly-developed city centre. Head by train towards Shimodate Station, from where you can switch to the Moka Railway. At Shimodate Station, there is a store called Garakutaya, a recycling shop. It sells disused household items and electronic goods. It also has unique items which have been donated by customers who worked for the national railway; however, these items are not for sale. If you are hungry, try the shop’s delicious yakisoba (fried noodles) - freshly made by the owner’s sister - for 200 yen (S$3.10).
Continue your adventure by taking the Moka Railway from Shimodate Station in Ibaraki Prefecture. There are 17 stations along the 41.9km Moka Line, which ends at Motegi. Make your first stopover at Ishidai Station, and walk for 15 minutes to Risumura. Here you will see animals such as squirrels and prairie dogs. Get on the train and head for the terminal, Motegi. You will see fantastic mountain views from the train window. Once you reach Motegi, look out for a sign which says “noodle making factory” and “Shimada udon”. Visit the factory and observe how udon is made using the dandanboshi drying method, which has been used since 1873. Shimada udon is actually a speciality of Motegi, and is named after a women’s hairstyle. As you can’t try the noodles at the factory itself, make your way to a shop nearby. Do note that one needs to make an appointment to eat the noodles, so as to give the owner time to make the noodles. The specialty of Sukegawa Shokudo is nabeyaki udon. Twelve ingredients are used and the colourful dish costs 1000 yen (S$15.30). You can also try zurubiki udon of kamaage, a speciality of the shop which is flavoured with handmade pickled plum. It is the perfect way to end your trip on a delicious note!
