I found the Narashino Automobile Inspection and Registration Office! I took this as an opportunity to do some research and found out that Chiba Prefecture is a unique prefecture in terms of the types of automobile license plates. Is there something particular about it?
Funabashi-juku
Take the north exit of Shimofusa-Nakayama Station, and you will soon reach Route 14, the Narita Highway. Go east on it.
In Shimofusa-Nakayama, there is the Hokkekoji Temple, the head temple of the Nichiren sect. The temple is so good that it has a national treasure, so I will have to visit it sometime.
A large tree in the middle of Route 14
After walking about 1.5 km, I reached Nishi Funabashi. There were three large trees in the middle of the road in the vicinity. Did they leave the old rows of trees? It’s very easy to walk along the street when there are trees lining the street, because they protect you from the sun. But today, it’s raining lightly, so I’m fine without the trees.
Underground entrance to cross the Sobu Line
Crossing the Sobu Line via an underpass. When a railroad is built later on a major highway, an underpass or pedestrian bridge is usually provided.
Manhole design of Funabashi City
I found a manhole. It was a manhole with a picture of a ship on it. This ship is a Godai Rikisen, which was used in the Edo period.
But the origin of Funabashi is “derived from the ancient ferry of Ebi River,” it said on the bank of Ebi River. Wouldn’t it have made a better picture if they had lined up the ferry boats?
The flower design is said to be sasanqua, the city’s tree. Didn’t sasanquas have more petals than that? So I pulled out the Makino Botanical Book that I bought when I was in high school and checked, and found that it had five petals, which was correct. However, I heard that there are also double sasanquas.
Oiwake on Narita Kaido and Onari Kaido
Stone pillar at the entrance to Narita Highway
At the Narita Highway entrance about 500 meters before Tsudanuma Station, make a right angle turn to the left and finally enter Narita Highway (Naritasan Road). If you go straight east without turning, you will reach Onari Highway. This is the road that Tokugawa Ieyasu used to go to Togane for falconry.
Around this time, a man with an umbrella appeared in front of me. We were walking at about the same speed, so I had to follow him all the way behind. Aside from myself, I was thinking that he must be a curious person to walk along the street in the rain, but he disappeared while I was buying a drink at a convenience store because I was thirsty. I think he must have walked all the way down Narita Road.
About 5km after entering Narita Highway, there is the Narashino Training Ground of the Ground Self-Defense Force. The 1st Airborne Corps and other units are famous. I didn’t take any pictures because I didn’t want to be mistaken for a spy by pointing my camera carelessly.
Signboard of Narashino Vehicle Inspection and Registration Office
I’ve always thought the three-letter “Narashino” (習志野) license plate was cool since I was a kid, and this is where they issue them.
Incidentally, there are 16 types of three-letter car numbers. In Chiba Prefecture, there are two of them, Narashino and Sodegaura. There are also two types of one-letter license plates, of which “Kashiwa” (柏) is also a Chiba Prefecture license plate. Does Chiba Prefecture have some kind of obsession with car license plates?
Owada-juku
Ohwada Kijo controls the release of water to avoid flooding in the Lake-Inba swamp
After another 5km walk, I found the Owada Kijo (machine station). What is a machine station anyway?
It seems to be a pumping station. If that’s the case, why didn’t they just write “pump station”? But it sure looks cooler as a machine station.
It is located in the middle of the spillway to avoid flooding in the Lake-Inba swamp, and it is a facility to pump 4.6m of water from the Shinkawa River into the Hanamigawa River to make up for the lack of gradient.
Usui-juku
By the time I got into Sakura, it was past 3:00 p.m. and I decided I couldn’t make it all the way to Narita, so I went home from Keisei Sakura, passing by the National Museum of Ethnology.
Walking data
Course: Shimosa-Nakayama Station (JR Sobu Line) -> Funabashi-juku -> Owada-juku -> Usui-juku -> Keisei Sakura Station (Keisei Main Line)
Distance: 30.9km
Time: 6h51m
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