Chiba Nanohana News (May 2025)

 Index

I. News    II.Festivals and Events     

I. News 

1) Appointment of CHI-BA+KUN Global Partners

The Chiba Prefectural Government works to support the creation of a prefecture in which all residents, regardless of nationality, language, culture, or customs, can live and work together in harmony. To further this aim, the CHI-BA+KUN Global Partners Program has been in place since 2020. The program invites foreign residents to make use of their unique perspectives to offer their opinions on prefectural policies and share information with the public.

On April 22, Tuesday, 24 foreign residents who live, work, or study in Chiba Prefecture were appointed as CHI-BA+KUN Global Partners for the 2025-2026 fiscal year in a ceremony held at the Chiba Prefectural Government Office.

CHI-BA+KUN Global Partners Overview

1. Number of Participants: 24
2. Countries/Regions Represented
   ・Taiwan: 4 people
   ・China, Vietnam: 3 people each
   ・Thailand, Peru: 2 people each
   ・Korea, Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Canada, Pakistan, UK, Italy, Australia: 1 person each
3. Appointment Duration: through March 2026
4. Activity Details
   ・Take part in opinion exchange meetings and participate in questionnaires
   ・Participate in events and "monitor tours" held by the Prefecture and promote Chiba’s appeal
   ・Distribute information from the Prefecture
   ・Contribute to the Prefectural Government's efforts in making Chiba Prefecture a more comfortable place to live
5. Inquiries: Chiba Prefectural Government International Affairs Division, Multicultural Coexistence Promotion Section
   TEL: 043-223-2436
   CHI-BA+KUN Global Partners Website

II.Festivals and Events

1)Suigo Sawara Iris Festival @ Suigo Sawara Ayame Park (Katori City)

The season for irises, known as 'ayame' in Japan, has arrived at Suigo Sawara Ayame Park, a part of the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park characterized by water and greenery. More than 1,500,000 irises of 400 varieties are in bloom, painting the park in shades of purple. The irises fall under several strains including the elegant and prolific Edo strain, the large and glamorous Higo strain, and the delicate three-petaled Ise strain. Varieties of irises with elegant names such as "Fujibakama" and "Dainagon" blossom profusely in a blend of white, purple, and yellow.

You can also tour the park on a small Sappa boat (fees apply) for a different view of the irises. The helmswomen maneuvering the boat with a pole, dressed in their Kasuri-patterned attire, red aprons, tabi socks, and triangular woven hats, is a sight that can only be seen during this season.

Events during festival period

1. Opening day: May 24, Saturday, from 8.00 a.m. (Free iris sprouts for the first 100 visitors)
2. Yomeiri-fune (Bridal boat): May 31 (Saturday), June 7 (Saturday), June 15 (Sunday), from 10.30 a.m. each day (cancelled in the event of rain)
3. Yomeiri-fune experience: June 1 (Sunday), June 8 (Sunday), June 14 (Saturday), from 11.00 a.m. each day (cancelled in the event of rain)

*Please refer to the facility’s website for more details about what is available during this festival.

 

• Period: May 24 (Saturday) to June 22 (Sunday), 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
• Location: Suigo Sawara Ayame Park, 1837-2 Ogishima, Katori City
• Entrance fee: 800 yen for adults (15 years old and over), 700 yen for those 65 years old and over, 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students
• Access:
  [By car] 30-minute drive from Sawara Katori IC or Taiei IC on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway, or 25-minute drive from Kozaki IC on the Ken-o Expressway
  [Others] 25 minutes by shuttle bus from Sawara Station (JR Narita line) (*only runs during the festival period)
  Bus fare: 500 yen for junior high school students and over, 250 yen for elementary school students, free for those under elementary school age
• Suigo Sawara Ayame Park website
• Inquiries:Suigo Sawara Ayame Park TEL: 0478-56-0411

2) Narita Traditional Performing Arts Festival (Spring) @ Naritasan Omotesando Street and Narita City Cultural Arts Center (Narita City)

A festival with kabuki performances will be held, featuring the theme of Japanese tradition you can experience in Narita, the home of Kabuki. Well-known kabuki performers from around Japan will gather in Narita for the festival.

During this festival, mascots will head to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, reminiscent of peasants making their pilgrimage to the temple by foot during the Edo period. In addition to paying a visit to the temple, mascots from all over Japan will perform on stage and parade along Naritasan Omotesando Street as part of the “Local Mascots Visit Narita” event.

 

• Date: May 24 (Saturday) and May 25 (Sunday), 2025
• Location:
  Naritasan Omotesando Street, 1 Narita, Narita City
  Narita City Cultural Arts Center, 828-11 Hanasaki-cho, Narita City
• Cost: Free
• Access: 15-minute walk from Narita station (JR Narita line) or Keisei Narita station (Keisei line)
• Narita Traditional Performing Arts Festival (Spring), FEEL Narita, Narita City Tourism Association official website
  * Please refer to the website for updates on details such as the schedule.
• Inquiries: Narita City Tourism Promotion Department TEL: 0476-20-1540

3) Loquat Picking @ Roadside Station Tomiura Biwa Club, Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama & Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba (Minamiboso City)

 

Chiba Prefecture is one of Japan’s largest producers of loquats, known as "biwa" in Japanese. In 2022, Chiba Prefecture ranked second in Japan in terms of output, right behind Nagasaki Prefecture! Biting into a ripe loquat freshly picked off a tree is a seasonal experience that you can enjoy only where loquats are produced! How about trying some large, fleshy, juicy loquats?

■ Roadside Station Tomiura Biwa Club

* Reservation required.

• Cost: 3,100 yen to 3,500 yen
• Period: May to June
• Location: Roadside Station Tomiura Biwa Club, 123-1 Aoki, Tomiura-cho, Minamiboso City
• Access:
  [by car] 3-minute drive from Tomiura IC on the Futtsu-Tateyama Expressway
  [by train] 15-minute walk from Tomiura station (JR Uchibo line)
• Inquiries: Roadside Station Tomiura Biwa Club TEL: 0470-33-4611
• Roadside Station Tomiura Biwa Club website

■ Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama

* Reservation required. You will be introduced to a loquat farmer after registering at Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama.

• Cost:
  May: 3,500 yen
  June: 3,100 yen
  *30-minute eat all you can (open-air orchard)
• Period: May to June
• Location: Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama, 1900 Nibu, Minamiboso City
• Access: 3-minute drive from Kyonan Tomiyama IC on the Futtsu-Tateyama Expressway
• Inquiries: Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama TEL: 0470-57-2601
• Roadside Station Furari Tomiyama website

■ Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba

* You will be brought to the loquat orchard after registering at Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba.

• Cost:
  May 6 to May 31: 3,600 yen
  June 1 to mid-June: 3,500 yen
  *Eat-all-you-can at the loquat orchard. No takeaway allowed.
• Period: late April to mid-June
  *Please contact the facility to check as you may not be able to pick loquat on certain days due to weather conditions or growing conditions during the period.
• Location: Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba, 103-1 Aoki, Tomiura-cho, Minamiboso City
• Access:
  [by car] 3-minute drive from Tomiura IC on the Futtsu-Tateyama Expressway
  [by train] 15-minute walk from Tomiura station (JR Uchibo line)
• Inquiries: Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba TEL: 0470-33-4432
• Boso-no-Kura O-hyakusho Ichiba website

4) Kominato Railway 100th Anniversary "Boso Satoyama Sky Bus Tour" @ Between Kominato Railway Yoro Keikoku Station and Otaki Station (Ichihara City to Otaki Town)

Take a little trip across the Boso peninsula on the Kominato Railway!

A bus service connecting Yoro Valley, the town of hot springs in a valley, and Otaki, the Boso peninsula’s little Edo and a well-loved castle town has begun operations.

There will be four trips departing from each of the cities daily and some of the trips will run on the Sky Bus, an open-top, double-decker bus on which you can enjoy a comfortable tour of the Boso peninsula while enjoying the breeze of the satoyama (villages at foothills). To ride the bus, all you need is a simple digital ticket on your mobile phone.

■ Stops:
Yoro Keikoku-eki, Kannonbashi-mae, Nikaidate Tonneru Iriguchi, Yama-no-eki Kirari, Kazusa Nakano-eki, Michi-no-eki Takeyura-no-sato, Otaki-eki

*Some trips will be operated on a regular bus.

*The bus will stop for a longer period of time at certain stops along the way.

*A regular bus will run the route in the event of adverse weather or Sky Bus malfunctions.

*Please refer to Kominato Railway’s official website, X account, or Instagram account for details such as operating information.

 

• Period: on selected days until December 14, 2025 (Sunday)
• Cost:
  All-day pass for the Kominato Railway (full route) + Bus (Boso Satoyama Sky Bus or regular bus)
  Adults: 3,000 yen; Children: 2,000 yen
  Bus only: 2,000 yen (same for adult and child)
  *The ticket will cost the same for pre-schooling children who require a seat of their own.
• Inquiries: Kominato Railway, Railway Service Division TEL: 0436-21-6771
• Kominato Railway official website

 

 

I. News     II.Festivals and Events