Whenever I’ve seen any list of the best places to visit in Chiba prefecture, this historical river city in Katori has almost always been included. However, for someone who prides himself on his love for this often-ignored region of Japan I had never been there. That finally changed at the start of this year though.

On the back of a morning exploring the stations of Chōshi (as well as a few other sights) I arrived at Sawara station with the main mission being to see the platform zero. However, as I had managed to do Chōshi a little quicker than expected I had a bit of time to look around the town before taking the train on to Chiba station.

First impressions of Sawara, located in the northeastern part of Chiba, were that it reminded me a little of Kawagoe in Saitama with the old Edo-era style warehouse buildings in the historical area less than ten minutes east of the station. The district remains similar to what it was several hundred years ago and indeed has been designated as a national preservation area due to several remaining historic buildings.

That was all very nice but what I really wanted to see was Sawara’s riverside district located on the Ono River. It was once a bustling cargo transit point with the water network connecting it with Edo which is now known as Tokyo.

The riverfront is lined with preserved buildings covering half a kilometre or so. It’s a pleasant and relaxing area to walk around whilst crossing some of the five bridges in the preservation district but naturally getting out on to the river is one of the most popular activities. Fairly slow-paced boats offer visitors the chance to view things from a different angle and get an idea of how the river traffic once moved.

It’s a world away from the fast-paced big cities of Japan, and with weeping willow trees overhanging the waterways, one can only imagine how stunning it may look during the cherry blossom season in Spring.

This serene area has certainly managed to maintain its rustic old charm thanks to the 19th century Edo-style shops and warehouses, with their iconic tile roofs, facing the river.

Before all of that though I actually headed off north of Sawara station on arrival to Wanpaku Park which is home to the Sphinx! Who knew!!

Back at the station later on I got to see the more aesthetically pleasing south side of the station which was rebuilt between 2007 and 2011.

I had plenty of time to get the platform zero shots I craved not that such a thing ever takes too long!

Of course I was visiting Sawara out of season but it was still quite easy to appreciate the charm of the area and understand why it does often make those lists of things to see in Chiba.

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Click here to see the ‘Top 10 Chiba Sights’