This time, I took a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Inubosaki Lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture.
Inubosaki Lighthouse is the easternmost point in the Kanto region and is famous for its chalk tower and the earliest sunrise in Japan.
If you go by bike, you can experience the pleasure of riding while enjoying the scenery along the coast and feeling the breeze.
This time, I would like to introduce what kind of place Inubosaki Lighthouse is, how to get there, what kind of attractions there are, and where the motorcycle parking lot is.
Inubosaki Lighthouse is a first-class lighthouse located at Inubosaki in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture.
Located in Suigo Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, it stands on the tip of a 20m high sea plateau surrounded by the sea on three sides.
The chalk tower, 52 meters above sea level, has become a symbol of Choshi tourism, and when you climb the 99-step spiral staircase, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery.
It has been selected as one of the world’s top 100 lighthouses and Japan’s top 50 lighthouses, and is also recognized as an A-rank preserved lighthouse. In 2020, it was designated as a national important cultural property.
Inubosaki Lighthouse was completed in 1874. It was designed by British engineer Brunton and was the first Western-style lighthouse to use Japanese-made lenses.
Currently, it uses a 400 watt metal halide bulb, emitting 1.1 million candelas of light. The distance the light travels is approximately 36km, and there is one flash every 15 seconds. The Inubosaki Lighthouse Materials Exhibition Hall exhibits materials related to the Inubosaki Lighthouse and domestic first-class lenses.
Route to Inubosaki Lighthouse
This time I rode a motorcycle from central Tokyo to Inubosaki Lighthouse.
My favorite car is a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. Although this bike has a large engine and large capacity tank, its compact size and lightweight frame make it highly maneuverable. You can drive comfortably on highways and mountain roads.
The starting point is Sumida River Ohashi. From here, take Shuto Expressway Route 9 Fukagawa Line.
Shuto Expressway No. 9 Fukagawa Line is an expressway that runs along the coast of Tokyo Bay, where you can enjoy views such as the Sky Tree and Rainbow Bridge.
Transfer to the Shuto Expressway Wangan Line at Tatsumi JCT. The Shuto Expressway Bayshore Line is an expressway that circles Tokyo Bay, and you can see landmarks such as Disneyland and Haneda Airport.
Once you enter the Higashi-Kanto Expressway, you will be greeted by the countryside and industrial areas of Chiba Prefecture. Exit the Higashi-Kanto Expressway at Sawara Katori IC and enter Prefectural Route 55.
Prefectural Route 55 is a road that passes through the center of Choshi City, and is home to tourist spots such as the Choshi Electric Railway and Choshi Fishing Port.
Choshi Electric Railway is a local line with the shortest route distance in Japan, and is famous for its unique station names such as Nuresenbei Station and Nekojima Station. At Nure Senbei Station, you can bake and eat Nure Senbei yourself, a popular souvenir from Choshi.
At Nekojima Station, you can cross to the island where many stray cats live.
Choshi Fishing Port is one of the largest fishing ports in Japan, where you can enjoy fresh seafood. In particular, the seared bonito and saury sushi are exquisite.
Enter National Route 124 from Prefectural Route 55.
National Route 124 is a road that runs along the Pacific Ocean, and the scenery of the coastline is beautiful.
Along the way there are Hasaki Beach and Hasaki Fishing Port.
Hasaki Beach is a beach with white sand and blue sea that is crowded with people in the summer.
Morning markets and events are sometimes held at Hasaki Fishing Port.
From National Route 124, enter Prefectural Route 37.
Prefectural Route 37 is a road that crosses Choshi Ohashi Bridge, and you can see the mouth of the Tone River.
The Tone River is Japan’s longest river, and you can feel its rich nature and history.
From Prefectural Route 37, enter Prefectural Route 244.
Prefectural Route 244 is the last road heading towards Inubosaki Lighthouse.
This road has many curves and hills, making it fun to ride on a bike.
There are also literary walks along the way, including the Sato Haruo poetry monument and Takahama Kyoshi’s haiku monument.
The Haruo Sato poem monument is inscribed with a line from “The Sea”, creating a beautiful harmony between the sea and the lighthouse.
Kyoshi Takahama’s haiku monument is engraved with the haiku “When I see the lighthouse, I turn Nowaki.” The contrast between the lighthouse and the wind is impressive.
When you arrive at Inubosaki Lighthouse, the first thing you see is the chalk tower.
This tower is 31.3 meters high and is very conspicuous as there is nothing else around it.
You can enter the tower by paying 300 yen at the entrance.
Once inside, there is a 99-step spiral staircase.
These stairs are very narrow and steep, so be careful when climbing them.
After climbing the stairs, there is an observation deck at the top of the tower.
From here, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, the Tone River, and Choshi City.
The view is especially spectacular during sunrise and sunset.
It is also known as the place where you can see the earliest sunrise in Japan.
The observation deck also has panels explaining the history and structure of the lighthouse, as well as information boards showing the surrounding topography and buildings.
From the observation deck, you can also see the lighthouse’s lighthouse.
A domestic first-class lens is rotating in the light chamber.
This lens has a diameter of 2.5m and weighs 3.5t. There is a 400 watt light bulb inside the lens, but the effect of the lens emits 1.1 million candelas of light.
When you go outside the tower, you will find the Inubosaki Lighthouse Materials Exhibition Hall.
Here, materials and photos related to Inubosaki Lighthouse are displayed.
Of particular note is the Fresnel lens, which became the prototype for domestic first-class lenses.
This lens was imported from France and was rescued from a fire at Yokohama Port in 1871.
Based on this lens, Japan’s first first-class lens was manufactured. You can also learn about the construction process and renovation history of Inubosaki Lighthouse.
Next to the Inubosaki Lighthouse Materials Exhibition Hall is the Inubosaki Lighthouse Memorial Museum.
Goods and souvenirs themed around Inubosaki Lighthouse are sold here.
There are miniatures of the Inubosaki Lighthouse, keychains, postcards, mugs, and more.
You can also get an original stamp of Inubosaki Lighthouse. Stamps are available at the top of the tower, the Exhibition Hall, and the Memorial Hall.
There is no dedicated parking lot for motorcycles at Inubosaki Lighthouse, but you can park your motorcycle in the parking lot for regular cars. The parking lot is in front of the Inubosaki Lighthouse Memorial Museum.
It is about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot to Inubosaki Lighthouse.
On the way from the parking lot to Inubosaki Lighthouse, there are promenades and observation decks along the coast.
You can see the waves and reefs from the promenade. From the observation deck, you can see the Tone River estuary and the Pacific Ocean.
Summary
This time, I took a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Inubosaki Lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture.
Inubosaki Lighthouse is the easternmost point in the Kanto region and is famous for its chalk tower and the earliest sunrise in Japan.
If you go by bike, you can experience the pleasure of riding while enjoying the scenery along the coast and the breeze.
At Inubosaki Lighthouse, you can see the spectacular view from the top of the tower and the historical lenses in the information exhibition hall.
At the Inubosaki Lighthouse Memorial Museum, you can buy goods and souvenirs from the Inubosaki Lighthouse. Inubosaki Lighthouse is a recommended spot for motorcycle touring.
