The Hidden Delights Of Chiba Prefecture's Delicious Food Revealed!

If someone were to ask you “what gourmet foods are made in Chiba?”, many may struggle to give an answer. But those in the know will be able to tell you that there are many delicious foods to be found in this prefecture. In this article, we will reveal some of the gourmet foods and even some limited, seasonal delights that Chiba has to offer.

Actually, Narita Airport, the gateway to Japan, is in Chiba. It means you can get delicious food right away if you jump on the train after arriving at Narita Airport.

Kaisendon at Choshi Fishing Port - Even Fresher than Tsukiji Market!

Choshi Fishing Port is a port in Choshi city, located in the north-eastern part of Chiba and is the eastern-most fishing port in the Kanto district. Since it is located at the point where the cold Chishima Current and the warm Japan Current cross each other, it has a variety of fish and has been the top port to catch the largest amount of fish in Japan six years in a row.

You can look around Choshi Fishing Port, and try their delicious kaisendon, a popular dish featuring various sliced raw fish on a bowl of rice, at the cafeteria.

Maiwai Shokudo Cafeteria, run by the Choshi Fishing Port Association, use only fresh fish just caught at the port on the day, so you can enjoy the best, freshest and tastiest food here all year round.

In an instant your eyes will be captivated by the gorgeous sight of seafood such as tuna, skipjack tuna, squid and salmon roe accompanied by eggs, spring onions, and a green perilla leaf on top. There’s no need to doubt, you will be satisfied after eating this fresh fish dish.

The cafeteria is located at the edge of the fishing port, but it becomes very busy during meal times. If you have a window seat, the sight of the beautiful blue ocean and white seagulls will also satisfy your senses. Everybody thinks 'what could be fresher than this!!' when eating fish there.

Katsuura Tantanmen Noodles - Chiba's Regional Gourmet Food with a Full Flavor!!

Photo by ONE Katsuura Business Union
Chiba is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and many people make a living in the fishing industry here. Katsuura Tantanmen noodles is a dish that was created 50 years ago to be a dish to warm up the female divers, known as ama-san, and fishermen after their work at sea in the fishing town of Katsuura, and it has been popular ever since. The noodles are commonly served in a soy sauce based soup containing chili oil, with chopped onion and ground pork as toppings.

The shops with the red flag, as seen in the picture, are the official Katsuura Tantanmen noodle restaurants. There are about 40 restaurants and each one has a different and unique taste and look.

More information on these noodles and restaurants can be found on this site (Japanese).

Another recommended place in Katsuura is the Katsuura morning market that has 400 years of history to it, and is a place where you can really appreciate the lifestyle of the locals. Fresh seafood and other ingredients from the mountain in Katsuura are sold here. Why not fully enjoy Katsuura with Katsuura tantanmen after shopping at the market?

Japan's Three Great Katsuura Morning Market

319 Hamakatsuura, Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture 299-5233

Choshi Dentetsu Nure Senbei - A Legendary Food that Saved a Railway

The Choshi Dentetsu railway is a famous short railway line in Japan; the entire length of the line is only 6.4km and it takes just 20 minutes to travel from the first to last stop. This railway used to have only local users and once faced closure because of both a decrease in the number of users and business troubles.

The Choden no nure senbei (soft rice cracker) were born to help the increase the income of the railway line, and support for the line itself increased thanks to appeals online to customers and sightseers. This rice cracker triggered the revitalization of the Chochi Dententsu railway, and nure senbei became a legendary food in Chiba.

Inuboh Station on the Choshi railway is where you will find the main shop selling nure senbei, and is also where you can bake your own nure senbei yourself.

Normally, senbei is made by repeatedly baking and dunking the rice cracker in soy sauce and then drying it, after which it is put in a bag.

Nure senbei crackers differ from this in that, after they have been baked and expanded, they are dunked in soy sauce just before it is put in the bag, so it has a soft and moist texture. It is a soft type of senbei soaked in soy sauce, from which you can fully enjoy the flavors of the cracker and soy sauce together.

You will understand just how it saved the railway after a single bite.

After enjoying this legendary treat, head to the Chikyu-no-maruku-mieru-oka (Round Earth) Viewing Platform. You will see that the earth is truly round from this spot. Not only that, but you ca enjoy a stunning sunset from the Inubohsaki Lighthouse here as well. It’s a great spot to enjoy both sights!

All-You-Can-Eat Fresh Strawberries! The King of Spring Fruits

Plump, red strawberries are the main fruit that you can eat from winter to spring in Japan! Chiba is a very spacious prefecture with plenty of land for farming, and as a result, their agricultural practices are quite advanced. There are many strawberry farms located throughout the prefecture, though many of them are focused around Tateyama in the south.

Grown in greenhouses, these berries are availalbe for harvest from January to May, have a strong red color, and are grown without the use of agricultural chemicals.

Many different varieties of strawberries are grown here, and most of the farms offer an all-you-can-eat course for 30 minutes as well. Plus, they have sweet condensed milk in the greenhouses, so you can enjoy both plain berries and ones dipped in this rich sauce as well. It’s almost like a treasure hunt, searching for the ripest strawberries and harvesting them in the greenhouses. This activity is irresistible for strawberry fans.

Minamiboso City

Clam Digging in Kisarazu - Have Fun Finding Shellfish

Kisarazu city is located in mid-western Chiba. You might have heard about this city from its popular outlet mall or from the Japanese TV series, ‘Kisarazu Cat’s Eye’. It is a famous producer of both
asari (Manila clams), and bakagai (saltwater clams). There are many seacoasts here where you can go clam-digging, and a great number of families visit here in the spring and summer to dig their own clams.

If you’re the type to think that it is simpler to purchase clams at the market instead, you’re wrong! The clams found in Kisarazu are thicker and cheaper than those in stores, so if you want to enjoy some delicious seafood, you had better start digging!

Kisarazu coast tide hunting ground

Nakanoshima, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture 292-0831

In Conclusion

Are you feeling hungry for a gourmet trip to Chiba prefecture now? There are of course many other regional cuisines in the prefecture that we haven’t mentioned there, and many other great spots to check out too. The next time you are in Japan, head out from Narita Airport and take advantage of the regional cuisines that surround you.

Sponsored by Narita International Airport Promotion Association