Shin-Keisei Line runs in the northwestern part of CHIBA prefecture, Japan, connecting between Matsudo Station and Keisei-Tsudanuma Station. Different from Tokyo’s prosperous but sometimes busy atmosphere, Shin-Keisei Line offers you more calm and soothing places to visit. Exploring those areas may allow you to take a deep look inside the local culture, food, and entertainment. So, here is one model course. Starting from Shin-Kamagaya station, 29 minutes from Narita Airport by “Narita Sky Access”, three university students (Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese) will go on a half-day trip. The model course includes popular activities along this line including fruits picking, walking around a giant park, visiting historical spots, and relaxing at local restaurants. What will they see, eat, and feel? Let’s take a walk around with them!
DISCOVER SHIN-KEISEI LINE! Vol.1-1
The model course includes popular activities along this line including fruits picking, walking around a giant park, visiting historical spots, and relaxing at local restaurants.
Strawberry Farm KOWAYA
Alongside the Shin-Keisei line, there are many farms to enjoy Fruit-picking like pears, peaches, grapes and so on. Walking 5-minutes from Hatsutomi station, you will find a white-painted wooden-sign of Strawberry Farm “KOWAYA”. This direct sale shop sells fresh strawberries picked up at a plastic green house right next to it.
Inside the green house, where the temperature is kept around 20 degrees Celsius even during the winter, three kinds of strawberries are grown, Tochiotome, Benihoppe and Yayoihime .
“It’s not only seedlings that determine the quality of the products, but also the soil to plant them in,” says Mr. Kowaya who started this green house 10 years before. “So every year, we use new soil to guarantee and improve the sweetness of our strawberry,”
KOWAYA offers 30-minutes strawberry picking for 1,600 yen*, and to our pleasure, it’s ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT! But, of course, you should be “picky” to select real sweet ones. “Please do not look at the size. Pay attention to the color. Always the red one is the sweet one” Mr. Kowaya smiles.
* The price will change depending on your age.
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Strawberry Firm KOWAYA
1-5-4, Hatsutomihoncho, Kamagaya-shi, Chiba, 273-0125, Japan
Sama Sama Warung
Located at a shopping street, just 3-minutes-walk from Goko station, Sama Sama Warung is an Asian-ethnic restaurant beloved by local gourmets for more than 15 years. Once entering inside, customers will be impressed by the elaborately decorated interior with all the colorful ornaments gathered from all around Asian countries like Vietnamese, Thailand, and Indonesia. The atmosphere makes you feel like visiting local restaurants of those countries.
Surprisingly, the chef used to be engaged in French food. Mr. Matsuda says, “Traveling around Asian countries has changed my interests. Foods there are very much affected by European culture because of its historical events. So I also want to put my taste into it ”
Thai-noodle, Vietnamese-foe, Taiwanese-poke-rice, curry, spring roll…these are just examples from the menu book. “I don’t imitate the indigenous flavor or taste cooked in those countries. We live in Japan, and everything from temperature, water, and vegetables is all different. What I want to do is to cook those dishes in a way that really suits customers living here.” Mr. Matsuda said. Lunch-Set-plate is mostly around 1,000 yen with one main dish, salad, one side dish and a dessert. Drink can be added for 320 yen.
Sama Sama Warung means “a place where everyone gathers” in Indonesian. Once you experience the food here, you will be one of the everyone!
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Sama Sama Warung
5-17-10, Tokiwadaira, Matsudo-shi, Chiba, 270-2261, Japan