Local Bus Trip In Chiba Prefecture - Part 2

The “turf war” edition of the local bus transfer race across the Boso Peninsula continues. Team Tagawa and Team Kawai, who are travelling from Matsudo City to Iioka Lighthouse in Asahi City, have each “staked” four territories so are tied with four points.

Team Tagawa is at Funabashi City and wants to go to Chiba City next. They plan to stake the cities of Yachimata, Togane and Sanmu as their territories after “capturing” Chiba. The information centre staff tells them they can reach Chiba Station by transferring buses at Tsudanuma Station in Narashino City, Makuhari-Hongo Station and Keisei-Inage Station. Unfortunately, the last bus to Tsudanuma left at 3.20pm and it is now 4.55pm. So they decide to take the 5.05pm bus to Higashi-Funabashi Station, the station closest to Tsudanuma Station, and walk about 2.5km from there to Tsudanuma.

Team Kawai leaves Kioroshi Station at 5pm and is heading to Sakae Town. They alight at a community plaza after 20 minutes and walk to Sakae Town. According to the guide which lists the famous spots and specialities, they must take a photo with the town's mascot, Doramu, at Ajiki Station in Sakae Town. The mascot character was inspired by the town’s dragon legend. Team Kawai goes to Kobayashi Station and then takes the 5.55pm bus to Ajiki Station. 

Team Tagawa reaches Narashino City, the birthplace of the Yomiuri Giants. Here, they must take a photo with their monument at Yatsu Park. It has the handprints of the Giants stars. There used to be a baseball stadium at Yatsu Park. In 1934, America's All-Star team, led by Babe Ruth, visited Japan. Japan had no professional baseball team at the time, so selected players from six universities competed against them. They practised at a baseball stadium in this park. After successfully taking a photo of the monument, Narashino City is now Team Tagawa’s territory. They are leading with five points, while Team Kawai has four points.

Team Kawai, who is on the way to Sakae Town, hears the news about the other team taking Narashino City. After taking a picture of the town’s mascot, Doramu, the team claims Sakae Town and now has five points too. They then take a Ryukakuji Shako-bound bus from Ajiki Station at 7.25pm and then transfer to a bus going to Narita Station at 7.50pm. At Narita City, they must take a photo with the tiger of the 12 zodiac stone statues at Naritasan Omotesando, which they plan to do the next morning. They check the bus schedule and decide to take a bus to Yachimata Station from the terminal station at 6.20am the next day. 

Team Tagawa hears about Team Kawai gaining Sakae Town. Team Tagawa then catches a bus to Tsudanuma at 6.50pm and arrives at the station at 7pm. They then take a 35-minute bus ride to Makuhari-Hongo Station and subsequently the 7.55pm bus to Kaihin-Makuhari Station in Chiba City. They check the bus schedule at Kaihin-Makuhari and see that the earliest bus to Inage Station the next morning is at 7.20am. They plan to head east on a bus passing Yachimata, Togane and Sanmu. Unknown to them, Team Kawai has already decided to head to Yachimata City early the following morning. 

On the second day of the “turf war”, Team Kawai has an early start and first visits Naritasan Omotesando. After taking a photo of the tiger, they stake Narita City as their territory. They are now ahead of Team Tagawa, with six points. They then catch the bus from Narita Station to Yachimata Station at 6.20am, even before Team Tagawa wakes up. 

Team Kawai reaches Yachimata City after a 40-minute ride. They must try the city’s new speciality, Yachimata Ginger Ale, at Fukazawa Peanut. They ask for directions and choose to head there on foot. Once they reach the place, they try the ginger ale. It is made with Yachimata ginger, which has a strong spicy flavour. The city is one of the country’s top producers of ginger. Yachimata City is now Team Kawai’s territory and they are now in the lead, with seven points. Team Tagawa has five points. Team Kawai goes to Yachimata Station and returns to Narita Station.

In the meantime, Team Tagawa takes the 7.20am bus to Inage Station and then transfers buses. They arrive at Chiba Station at 8.15am and plan to take the 8.40am bus to Yachimata. But they get a shock when they are told the other team has already taken that city. They then take the bus to Togane City instead. Here, they must visit Lake Hakkaku, a place associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu. After snapping a picture of the lake, Togane City is now Team Tagawa's territory and they have six points. They then take the 10.25am bus to Sanmu City. Here, they have to go to Nagomi Ichigoen and pick strawberries. They take a taxi there. At Nagomi Ichigoen, 10 kinds of strawberries are available for a 40-minute all-you-can-eat strawberry-picking experience. After doing the task, the team claims Sanmu City as their territory and both teams are now tied at seven points. 

At Narita Station, Team Kawai goes to the information centre. They are told there is a direct bus to Choshi Station from Sawara Station, Katori City at 1.30pm. They catch the 11.10am bus from Narita Station and reach Katori City at 11.50am. They check the guide and they must take a Koedo Sawara Sappa boat from the Kawa no Eki Mizu no Sato Sawara roadside station to go around Tanukijima Island. The roadside station is about 1.5km from the bus stop so they opt to walk there.

Team Tagawa takes a taxi again from the strawberry farm in Sanmu City and reaches the town border. They check the guide about Yokoshibahikari Town and need to try a local rice bowl called Jiyomeshi at Restaurant Shiki. The taxi fare to the restaurant is 4,900 yen. The speciality Jiyomeshi is a rice bowl with offal, which is bought from a meat processing plant with a history of more than 100 years. The offal is simmered in soy sauce and miso. After trying this dish, Yokoshibahikari Town is Team Tagawa's territory and they now have eight points. They next walk to the border of Sosa City. They must try a traditional confectionery called Hatsuyumezuke from Kakusendo near Yokaichiba Station. They walk 4.5km to the station.

Team Kawai reaches Kawa no Eki Mizu no Sato Sawara in Katori City. They board a wooden Sappa boat at 1pm for a 10-minute tour around Tanukijima Island. After the tour, the team has Katori City and they are tied with Team Tagawa with eight points. They then take a taxi to Sawara Station and make it in time for the 1.30pm bus to Choshi Station. The taxi fare is 1,000 yen and they are left with 3,000 yen.

Team Tagawa is walking to Kakusendo, a Japanese confectionery shop, and reaches the place at around 1.10pm. Established in the 1780s during the Edo period, it sells Hatsuyumezuke or candied eggplants. The recipe has been passed down the generations since the establishment of the store. After trying this unique treat, Team Tagawa stakes Sosa City as their territory. They now have nine points, ahead of Team Kawai.

Team Kawai reaches Choshi Station and checks the guide. Choshi City’s speciality is Azuma Sushi’s datemaki, also known as fishermen's pudding. The eatery is a 10-minute walk from Choshi Station. It is now 2.40pm and the bus to Asahi City leaves at 3.15pm from Choshi Station. Azuma Sushi has been in business for more than 50 years. Besides datemaki, its other speciality is braised red bream served with broth. Choshi City is now Team Kawai's territory and both teams are tied with nine points. Team Kawai runs to Choshi Station and makes it in time for the 3.15pm bus to Iioka Lighthouse in Asahi City, the goal.

Team Tagawa is now at Yokaichiba Station in Sosa City. They have 4,300 yen left and decide to spend all their money by taking a taxi for the last stretch of the race. They want to first go to Tako Town to stake it as their 10th territory and then to Asahi City. Unfortunately, they get stuck in a traffic jam so they shelve the idea of gaining Tako Town and head directly to the goal. 

Team Kawai reaches Iioka Lighthouse and stakes Asahi City as its 10th territory. Team Tagawa members arrive half an hour later and with only nine points, have lost the race. 

Tips:

1)    Baseball fans should check out the Yomiuri Giants monument in Narashino City
2)    Kakusendo’s candied eggplants called Hatsuyumezuke are Sosa City’s speciality