After visiting Numazu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, I remembered a similar city near Tokyo Metropolis.
Funabashi is the second most populated city in Chiba Prefecture, which is about 25 kilometers east of Tokyo. As of January, 2023, the population is about 647,000. Many residents go to offices and schools in Tokyo Metropolis. At first glance, Funabashi is just an ordinary commuter city, but that's not all. Funabashi has a fishing port on the coast of Tokyo Bay. Funabashi fishery started in the early 17th century as a supply source of seafoods to Tokugawa Shogunate, which was established in Edo (present Tokyo) in 1603. A majority of the Tokyo Bay coastal area has changed to reclaimed land, but the offshore Funabashi area is still kept as a rich fishing ground. Suzuki (Japanese sea bass) is a well-known local fish. Seaweed farming is also famous among people. Visitors can enjoy fresh seafood there.
To get to Funabashi City, JR East Keiyo line is convenient. The Keiyo line was constructed on the reclaimed land in the Tokyo Bay area, and opened in 1990. Connecting Tokyo and Soga, the total operating length is 43 kilometers. It takes 30 minutes from the underground platform of Tokyo station to Minami-Funabashi, the nearest station to the fishing port. A red colored 10-car train, the EMU JR East E233-5000 series, is the major fleet on the line. It was commissioned in 2010 to replace the old models such as the 201, 205-5000 and the 209-500 series.
