鋸山の南に位置する「きょなんまち」の役場のホームページです。
　　　　　　　


　　　　　　

Sunset in Katsuyama

Kyonan-machi

Kyonan-machi (lat. 35, long. 13) is located in the south- western portion of Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula, facing the Tokyo Bay.  The town was created in 1959 (Showa 34) when the three villages of Katsuyama, Hota, and Sakuma were combined.  In Kyonan-machi, we enjoy a moderate and comfortable climate year-round.  The present population is approximately 11,000.  The total area of the town is 45.16 square kilometers.

Hishikawa Moronobu Memorial Museum

Hishikawa Moronobu, called the “father of ukiyo-e”, was born in Hota, now Kyonan-machi, around 1630.  His father was a noted brocade artisan, and as a child he helped his family drawing rough sketches.  At the age of sixteen or so, Moronobu went to Kyoto to train himself in painting.  Studying the Kano-Tosa school and Kanga, Chinese style painting, he created his own style (Hishikawa art), pioneering the ukiyo-e painting style of the Edo period.  His art focused on the customs and manners of the Yoshiwara, a pleasure quarter at the time, and Kabuki theater.  Applying the techniques of wood-block printing, he succeeded in mass-producing and popularizing wood-block printed pictures.

The Hishikawa Moronobu Memorial is engaged in collecting and exhibiting ukiyo-e works and other works of Moronobu and his school.  The memorial was founded on March 21, 1985.　(Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.)


Moronobu’s Mikaeri Bijin (“Looking-back Beauty”)

Kyonan-machi’s Beaches

Facing Tokyo Bay, we have six beaches for swimming in Kyonan-machi.  All beaches lie off of Route 127, and are good for boating and other marine sports.  Our beaches listed from north to south are as follows:

1)   Motona Beach

Hota Central Beach-  There is a monument documenting this as the earliest resort beach in the area.  Town records also indicate that the famous novelist, Natsume Soseki, swam here in 1889.

2)   Hota (First) Beach

3)   Kisu-ga-ura Beach

4)   Dairoku Beach

5)   Katsuyama Beach-  Shogun Yoritomo Minamoto landed here after the Battle of Ishibashi-yama.

Mt. Nokogiri and Nihon-ji

Mt. Nokogiri (“saw-mountain”), as its name implies, is shaped like the teeth of a saw.  This mountain forms the boundary between the Kazusa and Awa areas of the Boso Peninsula.  In winter, we enjoy warmer weather in Kyonan-machi because the mountains here serve as a barrier from the cold northern winds.  The name of our town, Kyonan-machi, meaning “south of Mt. Nokogiri”, is taken from this mountain.
Nihon-ji’s Daibutsu

1500 Rakan Statues		 On Mt. Nokogiri’s southern side you will find the Buddhist temple, Nihon-ji, dating back to 725 A.D.  There are three approaches leading to the temple.  The rope-way from the Kanaya side is a four minute ride, accessible from Hama-Kanaya Station.  On the Hota side, there are two roads leading up the mountain.  The toll-road takes you near the top, while the other leads to a free parking lot near the entrance of Nihon-ji (from where it is a short walk up).  On foot, Nihon-ji and Mt.Nokogiri are also accessible from Hota Station.Some “must sees” of Mt. Nokogiri and Nihon-ji are:

1)    Nihon-ji’s Daibutsu and Hyakushaku-Kannon, two Buddhist statues sculpted into the side of the mountain;

2)    Jigoku-nozoki (“a peep at Hell”), a view seen looking down at the sheer cliffs of the mountain;

1500 Rakan Statues (Buddhist saint statues), stone images made in the Edo period, each said to have a different expression.

Sakuma Dam

Completed in 1993, this dam was built for  agricultural use.  Currently, recreational facilities are in the process of being constructed around the dam.  This is also an excellent spot for seeing cherry blossoms (sakura), Japanese apricot blossoms, suisen (Japanese daffodil or narcissus), or just enjoying nature.
Sakuma Dam

Japanese Daffodil-Suisen Road

According to historical records, Kyonan-machi’s speciality, Nihon Suisen (Japanese Daffodil or narcissus), was being sold to Edo residents during the middle of the Tokugawa era.  At this time, the flower was being grown primarily in Motona village of the Hota area of Kyonan-machi, and has enjoyed a long history ever since.

The Japanese daffodil blooms relatively early compared to other kinds of daffodils.  In the warm Boso Peninsula, it starts to bloom at the end of October.  The southern slope of Mt. Nokogiri is said to be the best place to grow suisen, and you can see it growing throughout the area.

Suisen Road in the Ezuki area, famous for flower viewing, offers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and elegant aroma of the flower.  Stop by and experience it for yourself!

Picking Nabana

Raised by nearly all of Kyonan-machi’s farmhouses, the town’s nabana is the best selling in all of Japan.

Nabana is planted in September, after the rice harvest, and is sold for over six months, from September to April.  Due to the area’s warm climate, Kyonan-machi’s nabana is tender and pleasant to the palate.

Daikoku-yama observation tower

Daikoku-yama

In the Katsuyama area, there is a small mountain called Daikoku-yama.  It has an approximate height of 80 meters and stands 500 meters west of Awa-Katsuyama Station, looking out over the ocean.  On the north side, caves and the remains of ancient peoples were discovered about fifty years ago.  On the east side you will find the graves of whalers from the middle of the Meiji period.  On the south side there is a small temple called Kan’non-do.

In 1990 an observation tower was built on top of Daikoku-yama, styled after the Katsuyama Castle in Edo during the Genroku period.  At night the fantastic silhouette of the tower can be seen from anywhere in Katsuyama.  During the day, it is only a short hike up the mountain to enjoy a beautiful view of Tokyo Bay and the surrounding areas.

Further Tourist Information

For further tourist information, including restaurants, lodgings, special events, etc., please contact the Kyonan-machi Tourist Association.

Awa-Katsuyama Station Tourist Information Office:

Tel.   0470-55-0115

Fax   0470-55-0661

Hota Station Tourist Information Office: 

              Tel.   0470-55-1683

              Fax   0470-55-1645
　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　
Kyonan town kikakuzaisei-section

〒299-2192
Simosakuma 3,458
Kyonan town,Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Tel：0470-55-2111　Fax：0470-55-1342