Chiba Prefecture sits on the Pacific and Tokyo Bay, and its food culture reflects that position directly. The prefecture produces over 80 percent of Japan’s peanuts, operates Japan’s largest fishing port at Choshi, and hosts one of the oldest unagi-dining traditions in the country along the approach road to Naritasan Temple. For overseas visitors willing to venture beyond Narita Airport’s restaurants and the Disney Resort food courts, Chiba offers some of the most distinctive and affordable culinary experiences in the entire Kanto region.

Naritasan Omotesando — Japan’s Great Unagi Street

The 800-metre approach road (Omotesando) leading from Narita Station to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is lined on both sides with traditional unagi restaurants, most of them more than a hundred years old. The grilled eel tradition here is one of the most celebrated in Japan, drawing dedicated diners from Tokyo who make the 60-minute train journey specifically for the meal.

Narita’s unagi chefs prepare the eel using the Kanto method: butterflied, steamed, then grilled over charcoal with a thick, sweet soy-based tare sauce applied repeatedly during grilling. The result is silky-textured flesh with a lightly caramelized, smoky exterior. The standard meal is a lacquered box set (unaju) with eel arranged over white rice, served with clear soup, pickles, and a small side of eel liver (kimosu).

Prices run ¥2,500 to ¥4,500 for a standard unaju set at most establishments. Premium lunch courses with multiple preparations — including grilled eel ribs and eel rice cooked in a clay pot — go up to ¥8,000. Most restaurants open at 11:00 and close when the day’s eel supply is finished, typically by 15:00 on weekdays and earlier on weekends. Arriving at opening is advisable to avoid queues.

The street retains its traditional character — wooden facades, hanging noren curtains, the smell of charcoal and caramelizing tare in the air. This is one of the most atmospheric restaurant streets in the Kanto region, and entirely accessible as a layover stop from Narita Airport.

Katsuura Fish Market — Tuna at the Source

Katsuura sits on the Pacific coast of the Boso Peninsula above one of Japan’s richest offshore fishing grounds. The town’s wholesale fish market operates early morning auctions for bluefin tuna, bonito, and live shellfish that supply restaurants and markets across the region. A section of the market opens to the public, where it is possible to buy directly from the stalls.

The experience works like this: arrive between 6:00 and 8:00 AM when the day’s catch is freshest and most abundant. Browse the stalls selling sashimi-grade cuts of bluefin tuna (hon maguro), bonito (katsuo), yellowtail (hamachi), and seasonal species. Purchase what interests you, then carry it to the adjacent preparation sheds where market vendors will slice it as sashimi, pack it on ice, and charge a small preparation fee. Many visitors eat directly at the market on standing tables with soy sauce, wasabi, and bowls of rice available for purchase.

The quality is unambiguous — the fish arrived at this market within hours of being caught. Tuna cuts that would cost ¥3,000–¥5,000 at a Tokyo sushi restaurant can be purchased here for a fraction of the price. The market atmosphere — fishermen in rubber aprons, handwritten price signs, polystyrene boxes of ice — is a world away from tourist-oriented fish experiences.

Access: JR Sotobo Line to Katsuura Station; the market is a short walk toward the harbour.

Katsuo Tataki — Bonito from the Boso Pacific

The Pacific waters off the Boso Peninsula are Japan’s premier bonito-fishing ground, and Katsuura and the surrounding coastline produce some of the finest katsuo in the country. Katsuo tataki is the definitive preparation: thick slabs of bonito, lightly seared over rice straw (wara) at extreme heat until the exterior is charred and fragrant while the interior remains raw and clean. The fish is then sliced and served with ponzu (citrus soy), grated ginger, sliced spring onions, and thin-sliced myoga.

Several harbourside restaurants in Katsuura and at Choshi specialize in fresh katsuo from their own boats. The wara-grilled version — where the smoky, caramelized sear of the rice straw mixes with the clean richness of very fresh bonito — is one of the finest things to eat anywhere in Japan. A katsuo tataki plate runs ¥1,200–¥2,000 at most harbourside restaurants.

The katsuo season runs spring through early autumn, with peak quality around May–June (hatsu-gatsuo, first bonito of the season) and again in September–October (modori-gatsuo, returning bonito with higher fat content).

Choshi — Soy Sauce Breweries and Pacific Port Dining

Choshi sits at the far northeastern tip of the Boso Peninsula, jutting into the Pacific where the Tone River meets the ocean. It is Japan’s largest fishing port by landing volume, handling enormous quantities of saury (sanma), sardines, bonito, and mackerel. The town is also home to the Yamasa and Higeta soy sauce breweries, two of Japan’s most historically significant producers.

Both breweries offer free factory tours on weekdays (advance booking required). The tours cover the traditional fermentation process — the aging cedar barrels, the mixing of soy beans and wheat koji, the pressing and pasteurization — and conclude with a tasting session where different grades and styles of soy sauce can be compared. The difference between premium Choshi soy sauce aged in traditional barrels and the standard product sold in supermarkets is immediately apparent.

Choshi’s izakaya district near the harbour serves the port’s catch with the concentrated flavour of locally brewed soy sauce in everything from sashimi to grilled fish to noodle broths. An evening of izakaya dining in Choshi — fresh Pacific fish, excellent sake, and the particular atmosphere of a working fishing town — is one of Chiba’s most authentic experiences.

Access: JR Sobu Line limited express Shiosai from Tokyo Station direct to Choshi (2 hours, ¥3,880 with reserved seat).

Chiba Peanuts — Japan’s Capital of Kacang

Chiba Prefecture produces over 80 percent of Japan’s entire peanut crop, and the local food culture around peanuts is considerably more sophisticated than the souvenir packaging might suggest. Fresh peanuts boiled in their shells (yude rakkasei), available in autumn at roadside stalls across the prefecture, have a completely different character from roasted peanuts — softer, earthier, and intensely savoury in a way that makes them addictive.

Local peanut products worth seeking out include: handmade peanut tofu (rakkasei dofu), available at roadside stations and specialty shops; freshly ground peanut butter at a small number of specialist producers in Chiba City; and fried peanuts in unusual flavors (wasabi, mentaiko, and various soy preparations) sold at station souvenir shops throughout the prefecture. Peanut-based wagashi (traditional confections) made by old-established confectioners in the Yachimata area — the center of Chiba’s peanut farming region — are particularly good.

The harvest season runs October to November, and roadside stations throughout the prefecture sell newly harvested peanuts direct from farms during this window.

Practical Tips

Market timing: Katsuura fish market is most active 6:00–8:00 AM. Most unagi restaurants on Naritasan Omotesando open at 11:00. Choshi brewery tours require advance reservations (weekdays only).

Combining food and sightseeing: The Naritasan unagi lunch pairs naturally with temple viewing before or after eating. Katsuura’s market morning works well as the start of a Boso Peninsula day that continues to Nokogiri-yama in the afternoon. Choshi can be combined with the Cape Inubosaki lighthouse and coastal walking for a full day.

Language: Naritasan’s tourist-oriented restaurants manage basic English. Katsuura market stalls and Choshi izakaya will not — bring a phone with a camera translation app.