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Boso Flowerline
The Boso Peninsula makes up most of Chiba Prefecture. The Boso Flowerline is 20 km of road which runs along the coast of the southern tip of the peninsula. This area has a milder climate than the rest of Kanto making it a good place to ride during colder weather. It’s also conducive to raising flowers. The city of Chikura has large flower fields next to the road. There are also plots of flowers lining the road and fields of yellow canola flowers.
I usually begin my ride from the Hamakanaya ferry terminal after making the 40-minute crossing from Kurihama. The ferry ride itself is quite relaxing and pretty reasonable. It costs 1450円 for a roundtrip with ferries running about once an hour. This is the price to walk on. If you bag up your bike you can take it along for free. There’s also the option of parking it down with the cars but it will cost you an extra 1000 yen for a round trip.
Here’s a link to the Tokyo Wan Ferry website.
At Hamakanaya take Hwy 127 south along the coast. This first part of the trip is not the flower line; that begins after Tateyama. You soon pass Nokogiriyama on the left with its somewhat famous cable car taking people to the top. The coastline is rocky with some nice views across the bay with Mt. Fuji in the distance.
This part of Chiba is such a relaxing place to ride. The traffic is usually light and the towns move at a slower pace. Much of the commuter traffic moves through the highways that cross the interior of the peninsula leaving the coastline for slower moving traffic.
It’s about 26 km to Tateyama. This is where the flowerline trip actually begins. After leaving town take Hwy 257 which follows the northern part of the tip of land that goes out to Sunosaki Lighthouse. The lighthouse is worth a stop and has a fine view looking back up the coast.
After coming around the tip the atmosphere changes becoming more of a relaxing seaside tourist location. There are some resorts, golf courses, and small inns spaced out quite a bit. It’s not like the busy Shonan Coast; it’s more of a laid-back feel. One thing I’ve noticed about Chiba is that the roads are close to the ocean. They are smooth and winding and often run close to the rugged stretches of craggy rocks as well as sandy stretches with big dunes. This makes for great cycling.
As you come to the southern tip you intersect Hwy 410. I believe that this is technically where the Flowerline begins. At the southernmost tip is Nojimasaki Lighthouse. I’ve often had curry and rice at the local restaurant across the street from it. There are long stretches of wide-open coastline and beaches between some resorts.
As the road curves northward you begin to come into the flower fields of southern Chikura. The vendors there are friendly. They’ve given me samples of flowers and let me wander in the fields to take pictures. In fact, I’ve found Chiba people in general to be exceptionally friendly. Whether it’s getting some cake as and added “service” in a local restaurant or having people engage in friendly conversation, the people tend to be warm and relaxed.
Boso Flowerline Gallery
