Private Public Beach

The view of the ocean on the away to Youka Public Beach, about 15 minutes' walk from Futomi Station in Chiba's Boso Peninsula.

To get to the actual beach, you have to go down this suspicious-looking path...

 

And go down this incredibly rickety set of stairs. If too many people used this at once, it would definitely break. You would not want to land on the rocks below.

And then, the beach. This must be a locals-only place because the afternoon I was there, the only people I saw within 200 meters of this place were locals. I had the beach to myself.

Hawks flying above, a welcome reprieve from crows.

Kamogawa Beach

Maebara Coast Beach, a few minutes' walk from Awakamogawa Station on the JR Sotobo Line. Japan's tendency to use breakwaters near oceans and bays may not be pleasing aesthetically, but you have to admit that they have their uses. Since I visited a couple of days before a major typhoon that ended up shutting down most of the subways and train stations in the Tokyo Metropolitan area (not an east feat), the waves were something fierce. The only area that was safe for swimming was before the breakwaters.

This was a known surfer's beach, but the strong waves on that weekend proved absolutely irresistible to surfers.

The waves getting fiercer as the day goes on.

Cold showers were available in the park adjacent to the beach, but someone had set up a warm-water shower booth for 100 yen a wash. I hope they have lights in that thing.

The town's bus stop, with a refueling stand and toilet around the corner.