A Weekend Tower Run Through Gyoda, Choshi, Chiba, and Yokohama
I started the All Japan Tower Federation Stamp Rally at Tokyo Tower. This weekend, I decided to visit other towers in Kanto besides Tokyo Tower.
At that point, I was planning to visit towers in Hokkaido during a business trip there in early March. In May, when I went to Kanazawa for Azure Travelers, I planned to visit towers in Hokuriku. And since I was scheduled to go to Hiroshima in August for Azure Travelers, I was also planning to stop by a tower in Tottori at that time.
I also had a business trip to Kobe planned for late March, and I was considering a tower in Kobe, but that one was probably going to be tough time-wise. With that rough plan in mind, I started with Kanto, and this is how February 28 and March 1 went.
Table of Contents
February 28: From Gyoda to Choshi and Chiba
Gyoda Tower in Winter and Plum Blossoms
My first stop was Gyoda Tower / Kodai Hasu Kaikan in Gyoda, Saitama.
At the tower entrance, they were playing a MISAMO music video, and there were posters up too. Inside the building, MISAMO songs were playing as well. Everywhere I looked, it was all MISAMO.
I remember thinking this was less of a winter destination and more of a place you come to see the rice paddy art.
From the observation room, the fields below were, of course, still blank this time of year. Next time, I want to come back when the rice paddy art is actually visible.
Instead, the plum blossoms in Kodai Hasu no Sato were beautiful. I came for the tower stamp, but I unexpectedly got to enjoy some early spring scenery too.
After that, I briefly stopped by the Oshi Castle Ruins. But I was hungry, so I skipped most of the walking and headed straight to food.
I had meat udon at Takemaru Shokudo. Once I warmed up and filled up, I headed all the way to Choshi from there.
About 160 km on Local Roads
After Gyoda Tower, I headed to Choshi Port Tower.
For reference, this stretch is about 160 km.
Even using the expressway looked like only about an hour faster, so I decided to take regular roads. Still, going from Gyoda in Saitama to Choshi in Chiba is a long way no matter what.
On the way, I saw a white egret by the water and pulled over to take photos. Around Sekiyado Bridge in Noda, Chiba, fields of canola flowers were in bloom and looked amazing.
Further along, Hitachigawa Bridge looked so cool that I made another short detour there too. I enjoyed the drive itself while making my way to Choshi.
Revisiting Choshi Port Tower
I had visited Choshi Port Tower not long before this. But I had not started the stamp rally yet at that time, so this visit was specifically to collect the stamp.
I got the stamp without any issues. Still, the drive from Gyoda Tower to Choshi Port Tower is seriously long.
I had a hard time deciding between regular MAX Coffee and MAX Coffee ice cream. I went with the classic MAX Coffee and topped up on sugar.
After that, I spent a little time around Inubosaki Lighthouse.
In a nearby field, I saw cabbage farmers loading harvested cabbages onto a truck. It was right around sunset, so I took a few photos of the scene before heading to Chiba.
Chiba Port Tower, 10 Minutes Before Closing
By the time I arrived at Chiba Port Tower, it was already completely dark.
I got there only about 10 minutes before closing. It was a close call, but I managed to collect my third stamp of the day.
From the observation floor, I could see Tokyo’s night skyline across Tokyo Bay. The bay in daytime would probably be great too, but I also loved seeing city lights lined up beyond the dark water.
Inside the tower, there was also a display of an autographed Chiba Lotte Marines uniform from pitcher Roki Sasaki’s time with the team, before his current stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to the display, he donated the uniform in appreciation after Chiba City honored him for his perfect game.
After making the rounds through Gyoda, Choshi, and Chiba, day one ended there. It turned into a seriously long-distance day.
March 1: My First Time at Yokohama Marine Tower
A Tower I Finally Climbed in a City I Knew Well
The next day, I headed to Yokohama Marine Tower.
It was actually my first time ever going up Yokohama Marine Tower.
I was born in Tokyo, and my father’s workplace used to be in Yokohama, so Yokohama was a place I came to often. When I was in elementary school, the TV drama Abunai Deka was hugely popular, and I even remember seeing them film it a few times when I was in Yokohama.
Even so, this was my first time at Marine Tower.
Tourist spots in your own city, or a city that feels close to home, are the places you somehow never get around to visiting.
That day’s goal was to get the stamp at Marine Tower, so I checked that off right after I arrived.
You can see Yokohama Bay Bridge from the observation floor. But personally, I might like the layered, winding expressways and the view toward Chiba across Tokyo Bay even more.
I spent a while taking photos of ships moving through the harbor and coastal cityscapes stretching to the opposite shore.
Walking from Yamashita Park to Sakuragicho for Beer
After coming down from the observation floor, I strolled through Yamashita Park and walked to Sakuragicho.
Then I stopped by Kirin City CIAL Sakuragicho.
After all that walking, I couldn’t resist getting a beer.
They happened to be running a Kumamoto fair, and the karashi renkon was great. I also had sausages along with the beer.
After that beer, I started feeling hungry.
So I went to Sumire Yokohama for miso ramen. Drinking always seems to wake up my appetite.
Summary
On February 28, I visited Gyoda Tower, Choshi Port Tower, and Chiba Port Tower. On March 1, I went to Yokohama Marine Tower and collected stamps at all four Kanto towers.
The roughly 160 km from Gyoda to Choshi was definitely far, but driving local roads while stopping for photos of egrets, canola flowers, and bridges was fun. Choshi at dusk, Tokyo’s night skyline seen from Chiba, and the harbor-and-expressway views from Yokohama all gave me different scenery at each tower.
I finished the weekend by walking around Yokohama and fully enjoying beer, karashi renkon, and miso ramen. That’s the kind of weekend it turned out to be.