Sakura Tourism in Chiba Prefecture　Stroll around the castle town and Sakura Castle Park – Day trip by train from Tokyo

Hello. I’m ”Arafifi Mitsu”（Around 50 Mitsu）!

Take a day trip by train from Tokyo. Take the Keisei Line to Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture.
Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, developed around Sakura Castle, and even today its streets retain the atmosphere of a castle town.
Sakura is easily accessible from Tokyo, about an hour from Tokyo on the JR or Keisei Line.
The castle town is located between JR Sakura Station and Keisei Sakura Station. It’s about a 30-minute walk between the two stations.
This time, we’ll start at Keisei Sakura Station and tour the castle town of Sakura.
Here’s a model day trip itinerary to Sakura by train.

Sakura’s Magata Shrine is known for its blessings of love and safe childbirth.

Makata Shrine in Sakura City is known for its blessings of love and health.

Surrounded by abundant nature, the shrine is revered by many as a place that brings peace and power to visitors. It’s also a recommended spot for those struggling with love or family issues.

Magata Shrine
Address: 933-1 Kaburagi-cho, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture
Telephone: 043-484-0392

Lunch in Sakura: Enjoy the Edo-era atmosphere at Sakura’s long-established soba restaurant, Sobadokoro Boshuya Honten.

For lunch, I visited Sobadokoro Boshuya Honten, a long-established soba restaurant located right next to Magata Shrine.

The exterior of the store exudes a sense of history, and once you step inside, you’ll be amazed by the atmosphere, as if you’ve traveled back in time to the Edo period.

The interior of Sobadokoro Boshuya Honten is a calm space, with the warmth of wood, making it feel like you’re watching a scene from a period drama.

Soba Restaurant Boshuya Honten is a very popular restaurant, with many people waiting to get in. The seated crowd is a diverse mix of customers, from local regulars to bikers, creating a lively atmosphere.
After waiting for around 30 minutes, we finally sat down.

When choosing from the menu, I asked the owner for a recommendation, and he told me that a popular dish was the “Tororo Soba” (grated yam) made with Sakura-grown mountain yam. I decided on this and ordered. While I waited, I enjoyed the atmosphere inside the restaurant, and my anticipation of tasting the local specialty grew.

The soba noodles, coated with smooth grated yam, are rich in flavor and exquisite. The firmness of the soba noodles and the softness of the grated yam are in perfect harmony, spreading deliciously in your mouth. The broth is on the sweet side.

This charming soba restaurant is fitting for the historic city of Sakura.

Sobadokoro Boshuya Main Branch
Address: 233 Shinmachi, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture
Phone: 043-484-0402

Sakura Castle Ruins Park: Relaxing in a Historical Place

With our stomachs full, we headed to Sakura Castle Ruins Park in Sakura.
A 30-minute, 1.8km walk from Keisei Sakura Station leads to the expansive park. The path is nearly flat and easy to navigate, making it perfect for strolling or walking.
However, be careful of heatstroke while walking, so be sure to hydrate frequently.

Sakura Castle Ruins Park is famous for its beautiful scenery throughout the seasons. Its plum and cherry blossoms are particularly famous. Sakura Castle Ruins Park also hosts annual plum and cherry blossom festivals.
In autumn, the entire park is illuminated by beautiful autumn leaves.

Developed around Sakura Castle, which was built during the Edo period, this park is deeply connected to the founding of the city of Sakura as it is today. Sakura Castle was abandoned during the Meiji period, but its remains still remain within the park, allowing you to feel the atmosphere of those days.

Of particular note are the remains of the castle tower, dry moat, water moat, and earthen ramparts. These tell the story of how large Sakura Castle was, and you can reflect on its history as you walk around. I thoroughly enjoyed running around the remains of the castle tower lol

Sakura Castle Ruins Park
Address: Jonai-cho, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture
Phone Number: 043-484-0679

What’s your go-to souvenir from Sakura? Peanuts!

In addition to the ones we visited this time, Sakura Castle Town is also home to many samurai residences and art museums.

Finally, Chiba is synonymous with peanuts, right?! I bought some peanuts and peanut butter at the long-established local shop, Otsuya.

Peanut butter is delicious.

There is still so much to see in Sakura. I made some new discoveries and it was a really enjoyable trip.

It’s close to Tokyo, so I’d definitely like to go back again.