KisarazuStroll through a fashionable port town with a mythical tale

"Wa Sanpo" is a program provided by Japan Travel Samurai. This time, we went for a walk in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture with actor and sword fighting instructor, Yuya Shimada.

What is Kisarazu City?

Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, is located at the entrance to the Boso Peninsula. It is a port town on the Tokyo Bay coast and is characterized by a warm climate. The city is famous for seafood in Tokyo Bay and agricultural products such as rice, lettuce, and pears in the Kazusa Hills that spread inland. It is easily accessible as it is directly connected to the Ken-O Expressway, the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, and the Tateyama Expressway, and is also known as a resort area.

Kisarazu has a long history, and one theory is that it got its name from the legend of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, who is well known from the Kojiki. Yamato Takeru is said to have conquered various parts of Japan, but when he was crossing Tokyo Bay, the sea became rough. At that time, his wife, Ototachibanahime, jumped into the sea as a human sacrifice to appease the anger of the sea god, allowing Yamato Takeru to safely cross the sea and land in Kazusa. Grieving over the death of his wife, Yamato Takeru did not leave this place for a while, and the name Kisarazu is said to have come from the phrase "Kimisarazu (the emperor does not leave)."

Kisarazu is a historic region where powerful clans have lived since ancient times, and place names such as "Makuita" and "Mochida" appear in the "Manyoshu". During the Edo period, it flourished as a distribution center for maritime transport connecting Kazusa and Edo, and five-star ships, commonly known as "Kisarazu ships," which could be used both on the sea and river, plied the ports and rivers. Various historical spots remain in Kisarazu today.

Kisarazu Station, the starting point of this Japanese stroll, is located right in the center of Kisarazu city. The JR Uchibo Line and Kururi Line run through here, and it takes about an hour from Tokyo Station on the limited express "Sazanami" via the Keiyo Line and Uchibo Line. The streets, which still retain the scenery of the Showa era, are somehow nostalgic and warm.

Feel free to rent out the entire place♪ Cafe & Bar "HACO+"

From the west exit of Kisarazu Station, take a leisurely stroll along Fujimi-dori Street towards the harbor and you will see the Nichiren sect Kisshozan Komyo-ji Temple in about 2 minutes on foot. The temple was founded by the monk Nichirin in 1335 and is characterized by a large black pine tree that is over 400 years old. In addition, it is known as the grave of Yozaburo, also known as "Kirare Yozaburo," the young master of the main character in the kabuki play "Yowajo Ukina Yokogushi," which made Kisarazu famous during the Edo period.

Just past Komyo-ji Temple is the hidden cafe and bar "Hako+," which opened in January 2023. Small groups are welcome to rent the place out, and cafe time is from 11:30 to 14:00. There is a kids' menu that is perfect for families with children, and it is also used by moms for lunch, making it a local place you'll want to stop by on your walk.

Lunch comes with soup and a drink. On this day, I had carbonara chicken, and the smoked chicken and carbonara sauce went perfectly together. Shimada-san also gave it high praise, saying, "It's so good!" After eating the delicious meal, he performed a sword dance of thanks. Shimada-san, who was having a great time with the owner, had a lovely smile on his face.

Yatsururugi Hachiman Shrine, where the legend of Emperor Yamato Takeru remains

Located opposite the Hako+ is Yatsururugi Hachiman Shrine, which is popular for its compatibility with Hachiman. The main deities enshrined are the gods familiar from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, such as Hondawake no Mikoto (Emperor Ojin), Okinagatarishihime no Mikoto (Empress Jingu), Achinakahiko no Mikoto (Emperor Chuai), and Susanoo no Mikoto (Susanoo no Mikoto), as well as Emperor Yamato Takeru. Incidentally, Emperor Yamato Takeru's son was Emperor Chuai, and Emperor Chuai and Empress Jingu's son was Emperor Ojin.

According to the shrine, long ago this area was called "Yatsurugi no Sato" (Village of Yatsururugi), and the village god was originally enshrined as "Yatsurugi no Kami." It is believed that this was Susanoo. Later, other gods were enshrined here, as Emperor Yamato Takeru stayed there for a while, grieving the death of his wife. It is said that the shrine offers various benefits, including protection from misfortune, traffic safety, business prosperity, prayers for passing exams, and academic success.

At the end of the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoritomo visited the shrine to pray for victory in battle, and in the early Kamakura period, a shrine was donated to the shrine, at which point the shrine building was constructed. During the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu donated land to the shrine, and in 1614 (the 19th year of the Keicho era), a boatman from Kisarazu served under the protection of the shrine, and Ieyasu donated a gift of gratitude.

The main building inside the spacious shrine was rebuilt in 1773. It has since been renovated several times, and the coffered ceiling decoration by a Kano school painter has been restored. The ceiling, lined with 162 paintings of flowers, birds, wind and the moon, is a sight to behold.

If you take a stroll around the shrine, you should definitely take a look at the string decorations called "mizuhiki decorations" that are handmade by the priests. Mizuhiki, which is often seen on gift envelopes, is said to have the meaning of purification with refreshing water. The colorful mizuhiki decorations are very cute.

In addition, the mikoshi that appears at the annual festival in July is known as the "largest mikoshi in the Kanto region." This gigantic mikoshi, built in 1850, weighs an astounding 1.5 tons. During the festival, you can even find the location of the mikoshi by GPS!

Take a break at "FUJIMI CORNER" on a nice day

The next spot on our walk is a cafe called "cafe Fujimi corner" next to Yatsururugi Hachiman Shrine. This is an ethical cafe that uses a container trailer and runs on electricity only from solar panels installed on the container. ... In other words, it is closed on rainy days.

They are open on Mondays and Thursdays through Sundays, but they are closed on irregular days, so you might be lucky if they are open. Check their Instagram to see if they are open. They sometimes hold a morning market where you can enjoy croissants and other items, and an evening cafe where you can enjoy beer, wine, and snacks.

The cafe, which has an art and ethical theme, is very stylish. Dried flowers are stylishly displayed in various cups. There is a lawn in front of the container, and dogs are allowed.

The menu changes depending on what the owner has in stock, so this time I had cold brewed iced coffee and brown sugar pudding. It warmed my tired body after the sword dance...

The owner is actually a famous person involved in Kisarazu City's "organic town development," but he was very friendly and Shimada-san and I had a great time.

MIFUNEYAMA COFFEE Kisarazu East Exit Station Store

The last place I visited on my walk was "MIFUNEYAMA COFFEE Kisarazu East Exit Station Front Store" in front of the station. I decided to drop in since it just opened on August 4th.

MIFUNEYAMA COFFEE is a coffee shop (+cafe) in Kisarazu city that roasts its own beans selected from around the world. It has four stores in Chiba prefecture, and the Kisarazu East Exit Station store is the fifth store, a collaboration with KURKKU FIELDS, a farm in Kisarazu city where you can stay overnight. As a result, you can purchase products including vegetables from Crook Fields. They also have soft serve ice cream made with milk from Crook Fields.

They also sell donuts from "HAVE A DONUT!", a donut shop in Kisarazu City. This time, I ordered a drip coffee and a plain old-fashioned donut.

The interior of the shop has a bright atmosphere and features large windows. You can see the bus terminal from the counter seats, so we recommend waiting for your bus at the cafe. There are buses to Shinagawa Station, Yokohama Station, Kawasaki Station, and other stations.

【Today's walking course】

Kisarazu Station → Hako+ → Yatsururugi Hachiman Shrine → FUJIMI CORNER → MIFUNEYAMA COFFEE Kisarazu East Exit Station Store

[Spots visited this time]

"Hako+" 1-4-2 Chuo, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture
"Yatsurugi Hachiman Shrine" 1-6-15 Fujimi, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture
"FUJIMI CORNER" 1-6-18 Fujimi, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture
"MIFUNEYAMA COFFEE Kisarazu East Exit Station Store" 1-1-1 Fujimi, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture