Mount Nokogiri ropeway: an adventure!
Apr 5, 2023
Beautiful views of the bay
We heard of Mount Nokogiri while staying with my cousin in Chiba and apparently he had been there a couple of times before. Mount Nokogiri is a popular destination especially among locals. We came during Golden Week and the mountain top was packed with people.
If you plan on coming to Nokogiri, I would recommend renting a car. It was easy to get there by driving, despite some traffic on the one-lane roads, and you get to enjoy the seaside views. Otherwise, you could also take a train by the "Uchibo" line.
On the way there, we stopped for lunch at a random restaurant - お食事処かなや. The restaurant was simply on the roadside on the way to Nokogiri, which made it very convenient. We were pleasantly shocked at how good the food was.
I ordered a fish tempura udon as I thought it was unique; I don't see many places having fish as the star tempura of any dish. However, I was thoroughly impressed by it, I loved it! The soup was great and the udon was slightly thinner which made for a nice bite. The fish tempura (I think it was mackerel?) worked brilliantly and complemented the noodles and the soup perfectly.
We tried the curry udon as well which was good, but I still felt like the fish tempura udon was the standout dish. We enjoyed our slow lunch at the counter seats as we planned our route further to Nokogiri.
A short drive later, we reached the gondola station. From there, you can enjoy a slow ride up, enjoying the views of the forest all the way to the summit.
(looking down on the forest from the gondola)
(the view from the upper ropeway station)
(the unobstructed view at the summit)
(a cute map of the area)
There's quite a few attractions on the mountainside which we didn't know about. On hindsight, I think the best strategy would be to take the ropeway to the top, enjoy the view, and then walk down on the side with all the attractions and enjoy them on the way down. Unfortunately we reached the area a little later than expected so we didn't have time to see these attractions, and they also close this side of the mountain after a certain time (as explained in the next part).
Important: Do note that the queue for the gondola to get down from the summit can be very long during peak hours. And to make matters worse, they close the mountain side after a certain time, and they do not allow you to walk down yourself. If you drive up yourself, there is no issue as you are allowed to drive down yourself. So if you want to take the gondola, it would be better if you come in the morning.
Address
2 Chome-73-13 Narashinodai, Funabashi, Chiba 274-0063, Japan
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7RkLtgAK5HC3MAhw5
Ropeway / gondola address
4052-1 Kanaya, Futtsu, Chiba 299-1861, Japan
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fvvb4W5mRQAsHz6P9
お食事処かなや restaurant recommended for lunch (last checked this was temporarily closed so do check google before coming)
5R7C+6H Futtsu, Chiba, Japan
Comments