Tateyama (館山) is the largest city in the southern half of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, about 100 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. Located near the peninsula's southern tip, the city has a resort atmosphere, offers a few sites of interest on its own and is a good base to explore the surrounding attractions, like flower parks and strawberry farms.
Tateyama Castle
Hours: 9:00 to 16:45 (entry until 16:30) Admission: 400 yen (castle and museum, 500 yen during special exhibitions) Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a holiday), Dec 29 - Jan 3
The current castle is a concrete reconstruction completed in 1982 and modeled after Inuyama Castle in Aichi Prefecture. The castle is located on the site of the original castle on a hill in Shiroyama Park in the south of the city, and is now part of the Tateyama City Museum, displaying articles related to a local novel. Visitors can get a bird's eye view of the city from the castle's top floor.
Tateyama City Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 16:45 (entry until 16:30) Admission: 400 yen (castle and museum, 500 yen during special exhibitions) Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a holiday), Dec 29 - Jan 3
The Tateyama City Museum is a small museum in Shiroyama Park not far from Tateyama Castle. The museum's permanent collection is spread over two floors, with local, historical artifacts like swords, armor and earthenware on the first floor, and a recreation of a typical house and tools of the area on the second floor.
Museum of Nagisa
Hours: 9:00 to 16:45 (entry until 16:30) Admission: Free Closed: Last Monday of the month, New Year holidays
The Museum of Nagisa (Nagisa no Hakubutsukan) is a museum introducing the local culture. On the first floor are fishing-related paraphernalia with full sized fishing boats and tools on display, including some used for whaling. The second floor introduces the life and culture of the fishermen with dioramas showing the different fishing techniques and a life-sized layout of their living quarters. The museum is located along the waterfront, and there is an observation deck on the top floor offering panoramic views of the bay.
Akayama Underground Tunnels
Hours: 9:30 to 16:00 (entry until 15:30) Admission: 200 yen Closed: 3rd Tuesdays every month, December 29 - January 3
The Akayama Underground Tunnels were used by the navy air corps as a command center and hospital during World War II. The tunnels have a total length of around 1.6 kilometers, of which 250 meters have been open to the public since 2004. Visitors are provided with helmets and flashlights before exploring the tunnels on their own.
Strawberry Picking
Hours: Varies depending on the orchard Admission: around 1500-2000 yen for 30 minutes all-you-can-eat Closed: Varies on the orchard, but typically from early May to mid Dec
Strawberry picking (ichigo-gari) is a popular activity that can be done from January until early May, although the quality of the berries varies through the season. Among several farms in and around Tateyama, the Tateyama Kanko Ichigo-gari Center is easy to use because it offers strawberry picking for walk-in customers without prior reservations.
Best enjoyed by rental car, the Boso Flower Line connects Tateyama with Chikura via the southernmost tip of the Boso Peninsula. Several flower farms and parks and some other sites of interest are located along the 45 kilometer long road.
Getting there and around
How to get to Tateyama
By highway bus
The easiest way to travel between Tokyo and Tateyama is by direct highway bus. Buses depart Tokyo Station (Yaesu side) once or twice per hour. The one way ride to Tateyama Station takes about two hours and costs around 2600 yen. Some buses continue beyond Tateyama Station towards Awa-Shirahama at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula.
By train
There are no regular, direct trains between Tokyo and Tateyama, and a transfer is required usually at Soga Station. The one way trip between Tokyo Station and Tateyama takes around 150 minutes, costs 2310 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the Tokyo Wide Pass. Only on selected days during the peak seasons, there are direct limited express trains to/from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station.
How to get around Tateyama
Good walkers can access some of the city's attractions on foot from Tateyama Station, including the Museum of Nagisa (one kilometer to the south) and Tateyama Castle (two kilometers to the south). A network of local buses provides access to most of the city's attractions with at least hourly service on its main routes. Another option are electric-assisted rental bicycles which are available from 600 yen for two hours or 1800 yen per day from outlets on both sides of Tateyama Station.
