Travel Notes – Strolling around Sawara, the Japanese water town of “Little Edo”
I have been to Japan many, many times.
I particularly like the Japanese countryside.
Beautiful scenery, clean and refreshing,
The facilities are no different from those in the city;
Very reassuring.
I learned about Sawara from a friend by chance,
It is said that this small town is full of Edo style,
It's like a world away,
It gave me a strong curiosity and yearning for this place,
So I took a quick trip.
Sawara is located in Chiba Prefecture.
It is an ancient water town known as "Kanto Little Edo".
From the Edo period to the early Showa period,
Since the Ono River flowing through Sawara is an important river mouth for the Tone River water transport,
So this place was once prosperous.
Because there are so many old merchants that have been passed down,
The Edo-style earthen architecture, old streets and nostalgic rivers are relatively intact.
Therefore, together with "Kawagoe City" in Saitama Prefecture and "Tochigi City" in Tochigi Prefecture, it is called the Three Great Edos of Kanto.
Sawara Old Town was selected as an "important traditional building group preservation area" for the first time in Kanto in 1996.
Most of the traditional buildings from that time, including the Onogawa River and Katori Avenue, are still intact and well-preserved.
The characteristics of Zuoyuan Old Street are:
Old street merchants and enterprises have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.
There are still many ancient businesses that are still in business today, and
is known as the "everlasting old street".
In addition to the old streets, there is also the beautiful Iris Festival (May-June),
and the "Sahara Daisai" (October), one of Japan's three major float festivals,
The content is very rich,
If you want to visit these two festivals,
You need to make arrangements in advance.
How to get to Sawara
From Narita Airport:
Sawara is not far from Narita Airport.
From the airport to Sawara, you can take JR and get off at Sawara Station.
From Tokyo:
Although Sawara is not far from Tokyo in a straight line,
However, there are many stations on the train, and there are also many interchanges.
You will still need to allow more time on the road, about 2 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
There are several ways to take the train from Tokyo to Sawara.
Because Tokyo is so big, the starting point and the way to change are different.
It is recommended that you go to these two websites to check the most convenient route.
Where does Sawara live?
NIPPONIA Sawara Merchant Town Hotel
Crested Ibis Sawara Merchant Town Hotel
This is a "decentralized" boutique hotel.
Hotels under the Nipponia brand are all in this form,
A beautiful old building with historical significance converted into a hotel.
Guest rooms are scattered throughout the old town.
Some are on the main street and some are in side alleys.
As long as there is their logo on the curtain at the door, it is a guest room.
It is precisely because of this that the layout of each guest room is different.
Some are renovated houses, some are renovated barns,
Some have yards, and some have higher floors.
Each room has its own name,
You can choose your favorite room on the official website or booking.com.
The hotel's front desk and restaurant are located in the "Nakamuraya Shoten" in the center of the ancient town.
It is an antique grocery store and is a tangible cultural property of Chiba Prefecture.
Breakfast in the morning is also on the second floor of this building.
After checking in, you can go to your room to rest.
You can also go for a walk directly and let the hotel staff take your luggage to the room.
Old Street is about a 15-minute walk from the station.
If it is inconvenient to carry your luggage,
It is recommended to take a taxi in front of the station.
Breakfast at the hotel is served on the second floor of Nakamuraya Shop.
What does Zuohara eat?
Yamada
A charcoal-grilled eel rice restaurant with a history of 300 years.
The eel truly deserves its reputation.
The meat is tender and plump, and the sauce is salty and delicious.
Served with soup made from dried eel,
Everything was perfect, highly recommended!
Thousand and Blessings
A restaurant hidden in a small alley,
It's a magical place when you walk in.
The interior decoration of the restaurant is modern and simple.
There are also abstract sculpture decorations, which are very tasteful.
Even lunch is very elegant,
The set meal is presented in an exquisite small box.
Seeing the dishes when you open them is like seeing exquisite jewelry.
Casa Alberata
At the end of the old street, it only serves dinner.
An Italian restaurant with a beautiful courtyard,
You need to make a reservation in advance and prepare dishes according to the number of people.
If there are no customers making reservations that day, we will not open the door.
The interior environment of the restaurant is elegant,
The French doors allow you to see the scenery in the yard.
The large retro copper coffee machine reveals the Japanese’s persistent pursuit of coffee.
The dishes are set meals, and they are delicious.
Creative and thoughtful, I like it very much.
Toraya Fruit Shop
At first I thought it was a chain of Toraya.
After asking around, I found out that this is an old local independent confectionery shop, also called Tiger House.
The store has a variety of wagashi made with local seasonal ingredients.
There is also a display of former fruit molds.
very funny.
Kohoriya main store
Chiba Prefecture Tangible Cultural Properties
Built in the 2nd year of Tianming (1782),
It is a typical Meiji era architectural style.
The "secret book" and props made at that time are still preserved in the Dozo warehouse deep inside the store.
The soba noodles in the store are also good, don’t miss it if you pass by.
Thirteen Mile House
An old store specializing in sweet potato products,
From sweet potato ice cream, shredded sweet potatoes to dried sweet potatoes,
All kinds of products are available,
All taste great.
What to see in Sawara
Eating and shopping is the right way to open Sawuan Old Street.
Although the old street is not long, it is still a good way to kill time by walking around and eating.
Especially when you often encounter stores that are two, three, or even four hundred years old.
No matter what, I want to go in and have a good stroll.
Here are some unique stores.
Inō Tadaki Memorial Hall
Tadayoshi Ino spent about 17 years measuring the topography of Japan, covering a walking distance of 35,000 kilometers. Later, he completed the famous "Comprehensive Map of Japan's Coastal Land", which was the first map of Japan that was correctly represented in history.
Inō Tadaki completed all his journeys on foot, so he himself is known as the "Forty Million Steps Man" (40,000,000 steps man). His various measuring tools, including azimuth plates, quadrants, and box-shaped measuring instruments composed of chains, wheels, and gears, are now preserved in the Ino Tadayei Memorial Hall in Katori City, Chiba Prefecture.
Directly above – A long-established soy sauce brewing shop from the Edo period
Chiba Prefecture Tangible Cultural Properties
This soy sauce shop is now in its 10th generation
In addition to soy sauce,
The current main product is "Tsukudani", a traditional Japanese dish.
A whole wall is hung with Edo-style scenes shot in various ancient movies.
Yau Mao oil refinery
Founded in 1630, this old store has a history of nearly 400 years.
It is also the oldest existing oil shop in Japan.
In addition to selling various oil products in large barrels,
There are also small bottles of oil with cute packaging that you can take home as souvenirs.
Japan’s oldest pharmacy
Known as the oldest pharmacy in Japan,
But now it mainly sells Western medicine.
There are some historical document displays and news reports in the store.
Tells the history and heritage of this pharmacy.
Many traditional Chinese medicine theories spread in China in the past,
It is carried forward here.
Kamikawa Bank Small Park
A building renovated with a modern feel,
It has a collection of coffee shops, local specialty drinks and souvenir sales.
There is also a public multifunctional space,
Various performances are held here from time to time.
It was peanut and sweet potato season when we went there;
Drinks made with local seasonal produce are delicious.
Kashima Shrine
Maybe you haven’t heard of Zuo Yuan,
But you must have heard of Kashima Jingu Shrine.
This is one of the oldest shrines in Japan,
It is also one of the three major shrines in Japan and has a lofty status.
Kashima Jingu Shrine is a few kilometers away from Sawara.
If you have good foot strength, you can walk there.
You can also take a taxi or take JR to get there.
However, you need to walk 10 minutes from Sawara Old Street to Sawara Station.
Sawara is also famous for its Iris Festival and Sawara Daisai.
If you want to see these two, you need to arrange in advance:
Water Town Sawara Iris Park (iris season is from May to June every year)
Picture source network
Famous for planting a large number of calamus,
Because it was not the iris season when we went to Sawara,
So I didn’t go.
When the calamus is in full bloom, the Calamus Festival is held here every year from May to June.
If you plan to come to Sawara at this time, don’t miss it.
Sawara Taisai (Autumn Festival: Mid-October every year)
Picture source network
Sawara Daisai has an ancient history of more than 300 years.
The chant of "Sahara Huanzi" in the festival resounded loudly and loudly.
It is one of the three major chants in Japan.
On the day of the festival, in the ancient street scene,
Huge floats built by famous craftsmen from the Edo and Meiji periods parade through the streets.
Time seems to have returned to the ancient Edo period.
A 4-meter-tall human figure carved from a zelkova tree on a roller coaster.
It is also the largest float decoration in Japan.
If you don’t have the opportunity to participate during the celebration,
There is a "Hansha Kaikan" on Sawara Old Street.
Here is some information about the celebration.
Walking is the best way to visit Sawara.
There are endless old shops to explore here.
Although this place is not big,
However, it is still recommended to leave two days for sightseeing.
I believe you will find many surprises here.
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