Perfect for summer! A petit trip to Hokuso to enjoy chilly sweets [ Sawara, Chiba].

  • Chiba
  • Eating
Pudding a la mode" at Chaya Hanakan Kamikawagishi Villa

Enjoy Narita and Sawara Summer Sweets Trip!

The Hokuso area, located in the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture, is home to Sawara and Narita sightseeing spots where streetscapes from the Edo period are still preserved. The good old townscapes are often used as locations for TV dramas, etc., and have recently become popular among foreign visitors, making the area very active. Less than two hours from central Tokyo, it is a perfect location for a day trip.
Why not forget the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy all the sweets, nature, and history in Sawara Narita, located in such a Hokuso area, for a petit summer trip?


Narita: Recharge your citric acid batteries with ume shaved ice from a ume specialty store!

From JR Narita Station, head in the direction of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and proceed along Naritasan Omotesando for about 5 minutes, and you will find "Narita Omotesando Shop by Yoshidaya".
Yoshidaya, a long-established umeboshi (pickled plum) shop established in 1830, has opened a specialty ume store in Narita, which is known as the gateway to Japan and home to Narita International Airport, in the hope of spreading ume culture to the world.

Yoshidaya also has a ume cafe WAON in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, and each store offers a different menu.
The Narita Omotesando branch is a take-out specialty store that offers a variety of drinks and sweets that are perfect for visitors to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, and the richness of the menu can only come from a long-established store that knows ume well!
There are three types of shaved ice alone, as well as a variety of drinks to match the characteristics of ume, making it hard to decide which one to choose.

Among them, the summer recommendation is the summer-only "Ume Shaved Ice.
The acidity of the ume syrup and pickled plums is matched with condensed milk to create a refreshing taste that is easy to enjoy even for those who have lost their appetite or do not like sweet treats.
Summer-only ume shaved ice Photo courtesy of ume cafe WAON Narita Omotesando by Yoshidaya
The citric acid in umeboshi also relieves fatigue, making them perfect for summer. We hope you will try our pickled plums in the summer! said the manager.

In addition to shaved ice, the shop also sells pickled plums, plum syrups, and neri plums, making it easy to buy souvenirs.
The soft-serve ice cream sold at the store is made with a special dewy sauce that has been improved for soft-serve ice cream and is only available at the Narita Omotesando store! Although not the same, you can enjoy ume sweets at home by pouring "Dew Akane" ume syrup over your favorite ice cream or shaved ice.

After visiting Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, you will feel refreshed if you recharge your body with water and nutrition here!
A variety of ume products with different sweetness and sourness
A parfait full of plums with ume glace, ume jelly, and ume jam
ume cafe WAON Narita Omotesando by Yoshidaya" official website Instagram
ume cafe WAON by Yoshidaya" official website

Sawara: Luxurious pudding a la mode at a retro cafe filled with local love!

About 12 minutes from Sawara Station, you will find the old private house café "Chaya Hanakan Kamigawagishi Villa" along the Ono River, where the Edo period townscape remains.

As soon as you open the door, vintage accessories and furniture catch your eye. The first floor is a warm and relaxing space with traditional crafts and antique items, while the second floor is an open space with a large window overlooking the Ono River.
Pudding a la mode with plenty of kiwi, a seasonal fruit

Kodawari pudding is the star! Cute looking pudding a la mode!

The store's special menu item is a hard pudding made with a blend of local eggs picked in the morning.
The firm egg taste and gentle sweetness will spread in your mouth.

The pudding a la mode, with so much fruit on top that it almost obscures the pudding, is made to balance the deliciousness of the main ingredient, the pudding, with the fruit. The fruits used are seasonal and locally sourced as much as possible, and are made with the local community in mind. The fruit changes with the seasons, making you want to visit again and again.

At first, I wondered if I would be able to eat this much. But it was delicious and blissful all the way through.
The ice cream on top is an exquisite sweet that will cool you down in the summer!

The pudding alone and the meal menu are also available, so why not enjoy your time at the café according to your mood at the time?
Cute handwritten signboard in the storefront
A warm retro space because it is an old private house café
"Chaya Hanakanamigami Kawagishi Villa" official website

Experience something unique to Sawara! Boat Tour to Feel the Coolness

A flock of swans chasing after the boat to compete with it

Sawara also called "Suigo no Machi," meaning "town of waterways," and used to be prosperous in the water transportation industry. A unique experience unique to Sawara is the "Koedo Sawara Boat Tour" on the Ono River.
The view from the river is completely different from that on foot, and you will never get tired of it.

The boatman will guide you along the river, while you enjoy the pleasant breeze.

The local people's love for Sawara that transcends time is impressive: a store that used to be a ryokan now runs a diner to maintain its historic building, and a store that used to be a soy sauce shop now keeps its taste and signboard as a tsukudani shop for 200 years.
We hope you will enjoy the coolness and history of Sawara while taking a boat tour.

View along the Ono River from a boat
"Koedo Sawara Funatoguri" official website

Take your favorite train and lodging combination for a budget-friendly trip!

You can create your own original trip!

The " JR East View Dynamic Rail Package " is a variable-price individual travel product sold exclusively through the Internet that allows you to choose your train and accommodations freely and make a reservation at once. Depending on the timing and conditions of your reservation, you may be able to save even on the day of departure at the earliest! We also offer one-day trip plans! Please enjoy your own trip according to your schedule and purpose.

Click here for details

"Train + Accommodation "Chiba Area" reservations can be made with [ JR East View Dynamic Rail Package ]
Tags related to this article
Previous post Back to list Next
related articles