Kisarazu - city in Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Kisarazu (木更津) is a city of 122,000 in Chiba, Japan.

Get in

By train

• Kisarazu Station (木更津駅), Fujimi 1-1, 35.381588°, 139.9261163°. The main station for the city. This is a stop on the Uchibo Line and the terminus of the Kururi Line. 2023-01-15

From Tokyo Station, Kisarazu can be reached by either the JR Sobu Line or the JR Keiyo Line. Both of these connect to the JR Uchibo Line, on which Kisarazu Station is located.

Infrequent Sazanami limited express trains via the Keiyo Line leave once every few hours, generally at 30 past, with more frequent runs during the late afternoon and evening. This will get you to Kisarazu in as little as 55 minutes for ¥2490.

The cheaper and more frequent alternative is to use the JR Sobu line at a cost of ¥1280. A direct train to Kisarazu (last stop Kimitsu) leaves once per hour and takes 80 minutes, or else a change of trains will be required.

Uchibo Line trains from Chiba leave every 10-20 minutes, reaching Kisarazu in about 40 minutes (¥650).

These trains are free to use with a Japan Rail Pass or JR East Rail Pass.

By bus

Across the street in front of Tokyo Station, there is a Keisei bus heading for Kisarazu and Kimitsu. With irregular schedule, mostly with a 40-60 min interval between them. Fare is ¥1300 for Kisarazu Station and ¥1400 further across the city, heading to Kimitsu. Travel time is about 1 hour, going thru Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line.

There are also bus lines for and from Yokohama, Shinagawa, Kawasaki and Haneda airport.

Get around

See

• Shojoji (證誠寺), 35.379828°, 139.921203°. Mildly famous for a nursery rhyme called "Shojoji no Tanukibayashi", about a raccoon dog (tanuki) whose statue can be found in the temple.
• Kimisarazu Tower (きみさらずタワー). There is a mountain park called "Odayama", also called "love forest". The main tower, called “Kimisarazu Tower”, is on the top of the mountain park. You can see the big statue of a couple on a ship, based on a tragic love story. Once, there was a man named “Yamato-takeru-no-mikoto” and his wife named “Oto-tachibana-hime". One day, “Yamato-takeru-no-mikoto” was trying to cross the sea to go to “Kazusa-no-kuni” (Chiba). However, the sea was very stormy and his wife thought that it an anger of the Sea God, so she threw herself into the sea to soothe the anger. After he could get to Kimisarazu, he left one poem for his wife: "Kimisarazu Sodeshi-ga-ura-ni-tachunami-no Sono-omokage-wo-miruzo-kanashiki". It means “I could get here, but when I see the sea from here, it reminds me of you. I can’t leave here because I miss you so much.” The poem is the origin of the city.

Do

In 2005, a TV drama called "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" aired on TBS. A lot of fans come sightseeing and take pictures around Kisarazu Station.

• Kisarazu Kaigan Shellfish Gathering, +81 438-23-4545. Hours vary according to the tide. You can go shellfish gathering on the seaside, which is called ‘kisarazu kaigan′. The best occasions is to in the middle of March for in the end of August. ¥ 1200 for adults, ¥ 600 for children

Buy

• Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu (三井アウトレットパーク 木更津), Kanedahigashi 3-1-1, 35.434640°, 139.932534°, +81 438-38-6100. 10AM-8PM daily. There are outlet stores and restaurants. This has become the newtourist destination of Kisarazu.

Eat

The specialties of Kisarazu city are short-neck clam, loquat, and peanuts.

Drink

• BRAZILYA Coffee, Bunkyo 3-1-10, 35.377009°, 139.934166°, +81 438-22-5433. Th-Su 9AM-7PM. A coffee shop with many different kinds of beans. The shop also sells cute "washi" wrapping paper.

Sleep

• Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki (龍宮城スパホテル三日月), Kitahamacho 1, 35.4208864°, 139.8954082°, +81 438-41-8111. Enjoy the spa as the day trip or stay overnight. This hotel is located near the coast where gathering shellfish can be done. Spa ¥2625, doubles ¥16,000

Go next

• Kimitsu
• Futtsu
• Kyonan
• Minamiboso
• Tateyama
• Sodegaura
• Ichihara
• Chiba
• Kamogawa