It’s been a busy few days. I haven’t kept up with my blogging duties as well as Helen has. This one is a little bit out of order. We rode Chiba with our friend Asako-san on the Friday before we left for Kyoto and Nara.

We met Asako-san at Funabashi-Nichidai-Mae Station and rode about 27km the long way around to the Murakami Station. I know my Strava says I rode more – but that’s because the algorithm between Beeline and Strava is a little bit faulty. The route is shown below.

Chiba is a prefecture to the east of Tokyo. It has a population of over 6 million. With its location and population size, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it is an overwhelming urban environment. Our starting point was densely populated area with relatively recent developments – the station opened in 1996. It did not take long before we were riding small roads in a bucolic landscape alongside rivers and fields.

Our first stop involved visiting a friendly Kiso horse called Hii-chan. We were fortunate enough to be allowed to feed Hii-chan some lovely persimmon. It is that season after all. Hii-chan can’t have too many because of the tannin in persimmon. Asako-san told us that:

The kiso horse is the only native bred of Honshu and was used a samurai horse from Heian period through Edo period. [The] Current Population is about 100! With a history of being used for farm and transport, it is characterized by its sturdy build and gentle temperament.

Mr Ohmiya [Hii-chan’s owner]  a horsing racing jockey, and was in the racing industry for over Forty years. He [now] wants to contribute to society through horses. Horse therapy is one of rehabilitation that promotes the improvement or physical and mental function of people with disabilities.

After the delightful stop we continued along the river towards a coffee and lunch stop at a Asako’s local farmer’s market – the Yachiyo Agricultural Exchange Centre. We started off with a coffee from a local coffee roaster – Hira Coffee, strolled through the market (admiring the big daikon and buying some souvenirs for us) and finishing with lunch at “Yachiyo Roadside Station Restaurant” the utilitarian title doesn’t really do justice to the good value food provided to locals by this place.

Just in case you didn’t know… Chiba Peanuts are famous!

What you definitely didn’t know was there Chiba had a coffee plantation. Asako-san told us that:

Japan has traditionally been considered unsuitable for coffee cultivation as it lies outside the coffee belt. However, recent advances in greenhouse cultivation technology have made domestic coffee production possible.

Yachifornia Farm is the first domestic coffee farm in Kanto region, located in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture. Yachifornia is aiming to popularise domestic coffee and create a community for coffee enthusiasts.

Visitors can engage with coffee in various ways, including a sapling ownership program, harvest and roasting experiences with the farm, and purchasing products made from coffee cherry and coffee leaves.

Helen and I were very impressed by the focus and dedication towards making a successful coffee plantation in Chiba. I was equally surprised by the offering of a “tea” made from coffee leaves. I’d love to go back for one of the hands on experiences.

End of part 1.