My husband and I drove to Chikura, in the southern part of the Boso Peninsula seeking spring on Feb.2 and 3, 2024. Because it is said that Chikura is always warm!😊
We visited Jinyaji which was the fourth temple founded by Shotoku Prince in 598 and was reconstructed in the Edo era.
The left image: Nio-Mon, Dava gate
The middle image: Red plum blossoms beside the Nio-Mon
The right image: Large and small straw sandals which are believed to ward off the devil.
The left image: Main Hall
The middle image: Elaborately decorated Main Hall
The right image: A statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the healing Buddha
Access: A twenty-five-minute bus ride from JR Uchibo Sanukimachi Station
Nomizo Falls is in a five-minute walk from the parking area on the Route 24. Look at the beautiful light from the cave reflecting on the water! The left and the middle photo were taken at 12:28 on Jan.19/12:05 on Feb.2 respectively. You can walk along a boardwalk in nature. If you'd like to see fireflies, please visit in late June.
Access: A one and half-hour bus ride from JR Chiba Station and a twenty-minute walk.
We stayed at Yawara-so Ryokan in Chikura on Feb. 2, where they served us good-quality of hot spring and good meals such as sashimi, grilled fish and so on.
They have their own spring source in the yard (left image below) and make the hot spring bath by warming the spring water. The bath is filled with flowing hot spring water. You'll be surprised how thick the hot water is!!
More information about Yawara-so
Next day we left Yawara-so around 9 o'clock and drove to Kasamori Kannon. I wanted to see the unique building and pray for the happiness and good health of my whole families. On the way we dropped by at two places, a flower garden at Shiromatsu, Chikura and Wadaura WA・O, a roardside station. We were surounded with an abundance of floral scents all around in the garden and enjoyed shopping local products at Wadaura WA・O!
The left and middle images: Flower ｇarden at Shiromatsu
The right image: A replica of Blue whale (♀) displayed at the Michi-no-Eki, the roadside station, Wadaura WA・O！
Access to Shiromatsu Flower garden: A fifteen-minute bus ride from JR Chikura station
Kasamori Kannon temple was founded in 784 during Nara Period, and the main hall was built in 1028 during Heian Period and the construction with the building upraised on all four sides is very unique, which is called Shihokakezukuri.
The left image: Kasamori Kannon Temple
The middle image: Stilts which raise the main hall
The right image: Steep stairs up to the main hall
This was the 10th visit or more to Kasamori Kannon Temple. I had a memorable experience to meet the principal image, the eleven-faced kannon (the Goddess of Mercy) standing with a calm expression on her face on Oct. 23, 2021.
Access: A 30-minute bus ride from JR Sotobo Line Mobara Station
More information: Please access here
