Minami Boso Penninsula, Chiba

The other day I took a trip to the Minami Boso area of Chiba which is a great place to visit for a day trip from Tokyo. Jump on the bus from Tokyo Station for the scenic 90 minute ride through the city, over the famous Rainbow Bridge, and the unique Aqua Line expressway to the south of the Chiba Peninsula. There are many different and unique things to do there that visitors are not able to experience in Tokyo.

On arriving at the bus stop in front of the Biwa Club Flower Garden, enjoy a refreshing ice cream while taking a walk round the huge flower garden featuring many kinds of beautiful flowers from all over the world. It is very romantic spot when the flowers are in full bloom during the warmer months , which makes for a great date spot.

Next, take the local bus for the short trip to the Itsukushima Shrine and Nojimazaki Lighthouse. The Itsukushima Shrine is home to a God of fertility, and quite amusingly features a very large wooden penis to prey to. After that, walk up the short path to the Nojimazaki Lighthouse and climb the winding staircase up to the top level to enjoy the stunning view of the coastline and the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. The view from the top of the lighthouse makes for a great photo opportunity.

After that, make the short journey to Tateyama Castle. The walk up the hill to the magnificent Castle is well worth the effort as visitors are rewarded with views of the beautiful gardens surrounding the castle, especially during the cherry blossom season in spring and over the town to the coast, making for another great photo opportunity. The grounds surrounding the Castle is a great place for a romantic picnic sitting under the beautiful trees, and taking in the view.

A great way to finish the day is to make the short trip from the Tateyama Castle to the nearby beach to walk along the Okamoto Pier. The Okamoto Pier is a very popular spot to watch the beautiful sunset, especially popular with photographers as on a clear day you can also see Mt. Fuji in the background, and also makes for a very romantic moment.

The atmosphere and culture of the Minamiboso peninsula is completely different, and makes for a very pleasant and welcome break from the urban jungle of Tokyo.

This is a great site for information about Minamiboso: http://www.tokyo-day-trip.jp