Boso Peninsula

The Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島 Bōsō-hantō) and its main city Tateyama (館山) are the southernmost part of Chiba prefecture. Rarely visited by tourists and somewhat off the radar even for locals, it mostly attracts Tokyo residents who want to go to the beach.

Tateyama City Tourist Information Office has a multilingual guide site for the area.

The cheapest and easiest way to go is by Keikyu bus from Haneda Airport & Yokohama (about every 2 hours, schedule).

Express JR train from Tokyo costs ¥3,610 to Tateyama.

The Tokyo Wan Ferry crosses the narrow outlet of Tokyo Bay from Kurihama, near Yokosuka, to Kanaya about halfway down the western coast. Tickets are ¥1100/2000 one-way/return, with around 6 services per day and a travel time of 40 minutes. Taking a car across costs ¥4300 including the driver.

In addition to the obvious option of driving down from Chiba via the Tateyama Expressway, you can also reach the peninsula via one of the greatest infrastructure projects of Bubble-era Japan, the epic 22 km, $10 billion Tokyo Bay Aqualine (東京湾アクアライン) tunnel-bridge from Kawasaki to Kisarazu. The pencil straight 9.6 km tunnel on the Kawasaki side was a popular spot for illegal street racing in the 1990s, with tricked out supercars reaching speeds of over 300 km/h. Be sure to stretch your legs at the 35.464444139.8744441 Umihotaru service area in the middle of bay, which is styled like a cruise ship and has plenty of eating options.

The peninsula is served by two train lines, the JR Uchibō Line (内房線) on the western/Tokyo Bay side and the Sotobō Line (外房線) on the eastern/Pacific Ocean side, both starting from Chiba and meeting at Kamogawa. Services are sparse, with roughly one train per hour.

Trains don't go further south than Tateyama city, or to the interior of the peninsula. Buses fill in some of the gaps, but this is one of those parts of Japan where driving is the best way to get around.

Bicycle is also a great way to go around along the seaside.

• 35.160278139.8408331 Mount Nokogiri (鋸山 Nokogiriyama). Ropeway Feb 16-Nov 15: 09:00 - 17:00, Nov 16-Feb 15 09:00 - 16:00. Meaning "sawtooth mountain", Nokogiriyama is a group of Buddhist temples cut into sheer cliffs. A rope-way gondola will take you up to the top, and on a clear day you'll have a spectacular 180-degree panorama spanning Chiba, Tokyo, and Yokohama to the north, Mount Fuji to the west, and Izu Oshima and Niijima to the south. Even on a so-so day, Yokosuka should be visible across Tokyo Bay. The most popular vantage point is Jigoku-nozoki (地獄覗き, "peering into hell") a small rock platform which sticks out over cliff. In the other direction you can see the low mountains of the interior Boso peninsula. From the peak, paths descend inland through the woods down to Nihonji (日本寺). The temple, built in 725 CE, has a stone Buddha statue that, at a total height of 31.05 meters, is one of the largest Buddha statues in Japan. From the Tokyo area, you can get to Nogokiriyama via the Tokyo Bay ferry from Kurihama (south of Yokohama) for ¥1100/adult, ¥550/child. There are buses from the JR and Keikyu stations to the Tokyo-Wan Ferry Terminal, or you can walk (20 minutes). On the Chiba side, Hamakanaya station is at the foot of the mountain and the ferry terminal is about 500 m further away. Most people take the ropeway, but good hikers should hike through the nice forest, 50 minutes before reaching the cliff where you can see the caves from below, very impressive. You might even spot a few old excavation machines. While the hiking trail is free, there is an entrance fee to enter the grounds of Nihonji Temple (¥700 for adults, ¥400 for children). If you descend the entire mountain on foot there is a long walk to the nearest rail station, the Hota JR station, with very infrequent service. If you have a car, you can take the non-free road that leads to the same place as the rope-way, but starts from further south. The ropeway station has a small free museum explaining rock excavation. Ropeway one-way/return ticket: adult (12 years and older) ¥650/1200, child (6 years and older) ¥320/600, parking ¥500.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 34.9753139.7572 Sunosaki Lighthouse (洲崎灯台). A lighthouse with a great view on the sea and neighboring mountain. Sweets are sold in the small store at the bottom. Sunset spot just beside on the same hill. Free.  
• 34.9549139.786493 Flower line. A road along the coastline, bordered with flowers.  
• 34.9106139.82824 Shirohama Flower Park. Lots of flowers, and a big greenhouse where firebugs can be seen at night. ¥420.   ^{[dead link]}
• 34.95564139.812745 Sand hill (砂山). A surprising mountain flanked on each side by huge sand slopes. Local kids have fun sledging or sand skiing from the top. Climbing it is a fun 5-minutes hike and offers a nice view.  
• 35.11651140.120756 Kamogawa Sea World (鴨川シーワールド). Marine park.  
• 35.24613139.934757 Mother Farm (マザー牧場). A farm where kids can pet cows, alpacas and other animals. At the pig race, kids direct their pig to the finish line as fast as possible. Also. Free on rainy days, but not everything is free inside. ticket purchased locally/in advance in a combini: adults ¥1500/¥1350; kids: ¥800/¥700.  

Beaches are the main draw here, but don't expect Waikiki: gray sand with plenty of flotsam from Tokyo Bay is the order of the day.

• Surf anywhere on the Southwest coast
• Scuba diving
• Fishing. Get on a boat and bring home all the fish you can!
• 34.95247139.810421 Ocean Veil Country Club. Golfing with a view. Not cheap.  

It can be surprisingly difficult to find a store, so bring sunscreen.

• Sashimi and Japanese spiny lobster in Tateyama city

• 35.14925139.830471 Motona Beach Club, ☏ +81 80-4423-7576. Daily 11am-sunset. Upmarket beach club with live DJ promising "laidback luxury" that quite frankly looks out of place on the rather drab Motona Beach. The bar/restaurant serves up fruity cocktails and Hawaiian fare. Daybeds from ¥10,000 (fits 4). Entry ¥2000/4000 weekday/weekend, children ¥1000.  

• 34.90557139.838291 Nemoto Marine Camping Ground. Vast dune area that acts as a (paid) campground.  (updated Feb 2023)

The Kinokuniya Group (no connection to the bookstore) has a bit of a stranglehold on luxury accommodation in Boso, operating 9 locations ranging from the eponymous ryokan to more modern getaways.

• 35.146589139.83122 Yūmi Beachside Onsen Resort (JR Hota stn). Fashionable hotel on Motona Beach, with no less than 4 reservable private rotenburo baths on the top floor. Stays include dinner and breakfast of modern Japanese dining with a fusion touch, and there's a whiskey bar with an extensive selection. From ¥20000.  (updated Oct 2025)