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The Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島 Bōsō-hantō) and its main city Tateyama (館山) are the southernmost part of Chiba prefecture. Rarely visited by tourists and somewhat off the radar even for locals, it mostly attracts Tokyo residents who want to go to the beach.
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鋸山 Nokogiriyama
"Sawtooth Mountain" gets its name from the quarry that uses to operate here, which carved immense square chunks out of the ridge seemingly at random. The main draw is the Nihonji temple, which features a giant Kannon carved into one of the niches, an even larger Buddha statue, and a scary viewpoint oddly called "Glimpse of Hell" (地獄のぞき Jigoku-nozoki). The attractions are widely spread out and connected by steep staircases, so allow 2-3 hours and get ready for a leg workout. You can take a ropeway to the top (¥650/1200 one-way/return) or hike for free. Entrance to the temple is an additional ¥700/400 adult/child.
洲崎灯台
A lighthouse with a great view on the sea and neighboring mountain. Sweets are sold in the small store at the bottom. Sunset spot just beside on the same hill.
A road along the coastline, bordered with flowers.
Lots of flowers, and a big greenhouse where firebugs can be seen at night.
砂山
A surprising mountain flanked on each side by huge sand slopes. Local kids have fun sledging or sand skiing from the top. Climbing it is a fun 5-minutes hike and offers a nice view.
Golfing with a view.
Upmarket beach club with live DJ promising "laidback luxury" that quite frankly looks out of place on the rather drab Motona Beach. The bar/restaurant serves up fruity cocktails and Hawaiian fare. Daybeds from ¥10,000 (fits 4).
Vast dune area that acts as a (paid) campground.
Fashionable hotel on Motona Beach, with no less than 4 reservable private rotenburo baths on the top floor. Stays include dinner and breakfast of modern Japanese dining with a fusion touch, and there's a whiskey bar with an extensive selection.
By train
Express JR train from Tokyo costs ¥3,610 to Tateyama.
By ferry
The Tokyo Wan Ferry crosses the narrow outlet of Tokyo Bay from Kurihama, near Yokosuka, to Kanaya about halfway down the western coast.
By car
In addition to the obvious option of driving down from Chiba via the Tateyama Expressway, you can also reach the peninsula via one of the greatest infrastructure projects of Bubble-era Japan, the…
The peninsula is served by two train lines, the JR Uchibō Line (内房線) on the western/Tokyo Bay side and the Sotobō Line (外房線) on the eastern/Pacific Ocean side, both starting from Chiba and meeting at Kamogawa.
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