Explore Sawara | Charming Historic Canal Town Near Tokyo

Explore Sawara | Charming Historic Canal Town Near Tokyo

Today, we visit Sawara, a water town in Chiba. Hope you enjoy it till the end! We’re heading to Sawara in Katori City, Chiba. Let’s check the map to see where Sawara is. Sawara is close to Narita Airport
and an easy day trip from Tokyo. Just past this peaceful countryside,
a historic water town awaits. Oh, and this is a JR train, by the way. 10:11 a.m. Arrived at Sawara Station. ??? Even the station building has an Edo-period look. Sawara’s old town is a 15-minute walk
from the station. This is a famous eel restaurant. Eel is a local specialty in Sawara. But… it’s pretty pricey. Arrived at the Ono River, which flows through Sawara. Such beautiful willows. Very old wooden houses! Are these from the Edo period? Back in the Edo period,
Sawara thrived as a river trade center. This Ono River carried goods all the way to Edo. Now they carry tourists instead. These kinds of public artworks are everywhere here. This is probably where they hauled things up and down. It’s scorching—feels like 40°C. Hardly anyone’s out. Here’s one of those traditional fireproof shutters. Old merchant houses often had these. Shoujyou Soy Sauce Shop Founded in the Edo period. Such a charming combo—those Japanese
roof tiles and the wooden lattice. Even the stains on the white wall add to its charm. Nakamuraya Merchant House Once a Meiji-era merchant shop. Now a favorite café full of charm. This Mont Blanc cake is famous… But it’s pricey too. Another gorgeous example of fireproof design. Former Abusō Merchant House No longer in business
but preserved as a cultural landmark. It’s so hot—let’s grab an early lunch. It’s a small tonkatsu shop. Tonkatsu, priced at 1,000 yen (USD 6.7) They’re frying our tonkatsu right now. The sauce had a somewhat Western-style flavor. Plenty of meat, and it’ll fill you right up. It didn’t cost much, so we’re pretty satisfied. That hot meal made us feel even hotter. Let’s take a little break in the air-conditioned room. You can rest here for free. Let’s grab a cold drink to cool off even more. Berry soda: JPY 450 (USD 3.0) Uedaya Old-Fashioned General Store This shop has been selling
everyday household goods for over 250 years. Unbelievable, really. Vintage charm with a modern touch. 4,000 yen! Here, you can see inside a traditional storehouse. That’s a massive beam! Looks like a natural log. This place is packed with goods too. NIPPONIA Sawara Merchant Town Hotel A popular hotel with authentic Edo-era charm. Now, let’s take in the sights of Sawara from the boat. A 30-minute ride is 1,300 yen (USD 8.7) Even in this brutal heat, the life jacket is a must. Oh wow, the water’s coming out of the bridge! I’ll talk more about that water later. Like this, we go under many bridges. Really, no one’s walking. Is it just the summer heat? Whatever the reason,
this town seems untouched by overtourism. Sawara—a picturesque canal town. So beautiful, and yet… Apparently, this marks the end of the historic district. Even beyond the historic district,
the town retains its charm. This is where the boat turns around. Yes, this is it. This is Toibashi. Locally known as the “Jā-jā-bashi Bridge” The name comes from the sound
of water—”jā-jā” in Japanese. This bridge was once part of an irrigation canal. Overflowing water used to spill into the river like this. Today, it’s recreated as a tourist feature. Inae, a traditional Japanese sweet shop Oh, I want to eat that. Popular spot. Long lines guaranteed. So we passed. Right across from it,
there was another shaved ice spot. The name of the shop is “Toraya.” Too hot. I need that shaved ice, like, now. The only issue is that all the seating is outdoors. Shaved ice topped with brown sugar syrup
and roasted soybean flour. JPY 1,650 (USD 11) This is unbelievably delicious. There was sweet red bean paste hidden
at the bottom! It’s cooled down a bit. Let’s go see the traditional festival floats
used in the Sawara Festival. Sawara Festival Float Museum Admission fee: JPY 400 (USD 2.7) A video was being shown. Festival floats used in the 300-year-old
Sawara Grand Festival are on display. Here they are. The sculptures are impressive. The Sawara Festival is held twice a year. They pull floats this big through the streets. Here’s the view from upstairs. Since it’s a bit far, we’re taking a taxi to Katori Shrine. taxi fare: JPY 1,500 (USD 10) The path to the shrine is pretty empty. Katori Shrine is one of the oldest
and most respected shrines in Japan. Legend says it began before the Common Era. So many stone lanterns along the path. Many of these were donated by individuals and groups. A sign of how deeply people
have believed over the years. Sacred Pond Stone guardian dogs protecting the sacred space. The main gate of Katori Shrine The tower gate of Katori Shrine That’s the worship hall of the shrine. Looks like some construction is going on. Oh, look—many shrine maidens
are walking toward the prayer hall. They say this shrine brings good luck in work… At Katori Shrine, The prayer hall and the main sanctuary
are connected as one structure. So this is probably the main sanctuary. This traditional roof is made from layers
of cypress bark. Oh, it looks like the ritual is starting. A sacred cedar, over a thousand years old. Let’s head to the inner shrine as well. Hidden in the woods—a sacred place of energy. There it is. Something sacred… you can feel it. It’s said to open the way. May it lead us out of our confusion. Back in Sawara’s old town. We were hoping to catch Sawara’s sunset,
but it’s cloudy today. A symbol of Sawara. Once again, this town is truly quiet. Frankly, it might be even better than Kawagoe. And yet it’s not swamped by tourism. It’s close to Tokyo, so it’s a bit of a hidden gem. Thank you so much for watching. Please consider subscribing to the channel. Please give this video a thumbs up. Feel free to leave a comment below. We share travel videos from Japan
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Travel to rural Japan and explore historic Sawara, a charming canal town in Chiba near Tokyo. This full-day trip takes you through scenic streets, traditional architecture, and the peaceful canals. We enjoyed walking around Sawara, taking a canal boat tour, and visiting Katori Shrine.Experience the unique atmosphere of this historic town and its beautiful waterways.
Perfect for a day trip from Tokyo or Narita.

Trip costs:
From Tokyo Station to Sawara Station: approximately JPY 1,700 (USD 11.)
From Narita Station to Sawara Station: approximately JPY 500 (USD 3.3)
at an exchange rate of 1 USD = 150 JPY

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0:00 Introduction
1:03 Sawara Station
1:53 Canal Town of Sawara (in the morning)
4:27 Tonkatsu lunch
5:08 Canal Town of Sawara (in the afternoon)
7:27 Boat cruise on the Ono River
10:32 Shaved ice treat
11:57 Traditional festival floats
13:58 Visit to Katori Shrine
18:18 Canal Town of Sawara (in the evening)

#japantravel #RuralJapan #JapaneseCulture