Sawara no Machinami (the street of Sawara), Chiba

Hokuso’s Koedo-Sawara. This town, which can be reached in about two hours by train from Tokyo, has prospered as a relay station for the Tonegawa water transportation in the Edo period.
In particular, on the both sides of the Ono River, which flows into the Tone River, there are many commerce and industry people, such as many bankers and breweries, who still have their emotions. Some spots are designated as tangible cultural properties of the country or prefecture.
Recently, the shops and accommodation facilities that have been remodeled with fashion have been increasing while retaining the image of the time, and the number of attractions is increasing year by year.
Once you arrive at Sawara Station, let’s go see the town along the Ono River, which should be called the face of Koedo and Sahara. When you leave the station and walk for about 10 minutes, you will hit Ono River.
If you feel the flow of the Ono River, a bridge that spans a few places, and a private house with a history of eaves on both sides, you will want to open the camera shutter as often as you like.
As you go south along the Ono River, you will finally see the “Saving Area of Important Traditional Buildings”, which is the top attraction of Sahara.
The tasteful scenery lined with Dozo Warehouses, wooden townhouses and commercial houses seems to be the same as at that time. Especially in front of the building that is the highlight, a signboard with its history is standing, so let’s look closely.Forget the time and walk around the streets of Sawara.
The Ono River has a number of bridges, but one of the distinctive features is the Toyohashi Bridge, located in front of Inoh Tadataka’s former residence.
Originally, it was a large dam built to send irrigation water from the east bank to the west bank, and it was not for people to pass through. Later on, the gutter was made into a box, made accessible to people, and became a bridge like today.
As well as walking, it is also recommended to enjoy the townscape of Sawara from a boat. Take a sightseeing boat that takes approximately 30 minutes to and from Ono River, and you can see the city of Sawara at an angle from below. While listening to the boatman’s Sawara guide, let’s enjoy a different view from walking.

“Edo Masari” (Surpass Edo)

Sawara which was prosperous using water transport, so that it was called “Edo Masari” (Surpass Edo). People adopted the culture of Edo and also were sublimating it to original culture. Even now, the rows of houses which leave the image in those days remain in the Ono-gawa river coast or the Katori-kaido road. It was admitted that the people in this area tackle to left such a historic scenery well, and it was made with the town utilized it, so it was chosen for the first time in Kanto by “Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings” in 1996. Such a building in Sawara succeeds the business from old days, and there are many merchant’s families which are still continuing that business, and it is evaluated as “living cityscape of rows of old houses.”

Surrounded by beautiful nature

Katori-shi, Chiba Sawara which is surrounded by beautiful nature and has historical rows of houses and a building. It is known for the land which prospered as a relay base of the Tonegawa water transport also as a town of a riverside area. Including cityscape of emotional Sawara, it is a recommended sightseeing spot taking a walk leisurely, such as former house of “Tadataka Ino” who related Sawara, or the Suigo Sawara Aquatic Botanical Garden.

Recommended tourist attraction of Katori-shi Sawara

Tadataka Ino who walked all over Japan to survey, and made actual survey map of Japan for the first time. It is “Tadataka Ino former house” that he spent more than 30 years from 17 years old to 50 years old. There is the memorial of Tadataka Ino on the opposite bank across Ono-gawa river, and this is recommended, too. It is a recommended tourist attraction of Katori-shi Sawara that you can observe relaxedly while learning the history.

Taste of slipping through time

It is the popular tourist attraction that can enjoy the atmospheric scenery which seemed to have a taste of slipping through time. Landmark architectures including the Sawara Mitsubishi building stand, and it is recommended to take a walk leisurely. The wooden building forming a line along the river is solid all, and there is an atmosphere.

It is near from Narita Airpor

“Small Edo of north” as cityscape of Sawara where the feature of the merchant town that was full of the prosperity so that it is sung in a song remains. It is near from Narita Airport and is a recommended spot.

Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)