Chiba south · Minamiboso / TomiuraNo.1282★★Open in map →

Haraoka Pier

natureOff the trail — and worth it

An old wooden fishing pier reaching straight into Tomiura Bay from Haraoka Beach in southern Chiba. It is one of the few wooden sea piers left in Japan, with the Miura Peninsula across the water and Mount Fuji on clear days.

FromTokyo Station
~2 hrDirect highway bus
Get off atTomiura Biwa Club (highway bus stop)
On foot
Haraoka Pier

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is not a hidden spot: it is one of southern Chiba's best-known photo views, and sunset is its busiest time. It keeps a low-key feel because it sits in a small fishing neighbourhood reached by narrow lanes, a little away from the main road.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Haraoka Beachthe sandy beach where the pier begins, part of the shore toward Tatara-Kitahama
The blue bencha blue wooden bench on the sand facing the pier, set out by local volunteers
The wooden decka narrow plank walkway running straight out over the water
The lamp postsa line of poles carrying bare-bulb lamps along the length of the pier
The view from the pieracross Tomiura Bay toward the Miura Peninsula and the Izu area

How to actually get there

Tokyo Station (Yaesu South Exit) → Tomiura Biwa Club (highway bus Boso Nanohana, about 1 hr 40 min, reserved seats).
Tomiura Biwa Club → Haraoka Beach (walk about 15 min).
Haraoka Beach → out along the pier to its far end and back.

Highway bus from Tokyo Station, no transfers: Tokyo Station (Yaesu South Exit) →(JR Bus Kanto highway bus Boso Nanohana, about 1 hr 40 min)→ Tomiura Biwa Club, the roadside station in Tomiura. All seats are reserved, so book ahead. From the stop, the pier is about 15 minutes on foot.
Highway bus back from Tomiura Biwa Club: Walk back to Tomiura Biwa Club and take the highway bus to Tokyo Station (Nihonbashi Exit) or Busta Shinjuku. Seats are reserved and the last buses leave in the evening, so book your return before you settle in for sunset.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Haraoka Pier, officially named Okamoto Pier, reaches straight out into Tomiura Bay from Haraoka Beach in Minamiboso, near the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula. It is one of the few wooden sea piers still standing in Japan. The water here is usually calm, and the pier sits on a stretch of shore set back from the main road. Anglers fish from the deck, local people walk their dogs on the sand, and visitors come simply to sit and look out over the bay. Its plain, old-fashioned lines have made it a regular location for TV commercials and films.

How to enjoy it

Come in the afternoon to see the pier over a blue sea, then sit on the bench and stay on as the light drops. The sunset, with the silhouette of Mount Fuji on clear days, is the classic view, while early morning and night give the pier a quieter mood. Fuji shows only when the air is clear, so check the weather before you go.

Background & history

The pier was built in 1921 for the fishing trade, and horse mackerel and mackerel were landed here. Fish landings at the pier ended in the mid-twentieth century. Years later, local volunteers began clearing rubbish and typhoon debris from the shore and set out benches and flower beds, and from around 2015 visitors started to come. Typhoons have since broken parts of the deck, and it has been closed for repairs and reopened.

Before you go

Cash: There is no charge to walk on the pier or the beach. Buy highway bus seats in advance online or at the JR Bus counter at Tokyo Station; some convenience stores also sell them.
Good to know: The deck is narrow, sits low over the water and has no handrails, so stay off it in strong wind or high waves. Typhoons have damaged the deck before and closed it for repairs, so check the Minamiboso tourism notices after a storm. The lanes near the pier are narrow and hard to see along — drivers should go slowly.
Another way: By train, take the JR Uchibo Line to Tomiura Station and walk about 15 minutes to the pier. By car, leave the Futtsu-Tateyama Road at Tomiura IC; there is a small free car park near the pier, and the roadside station Tomiura Biwa Club also has parking about 15 minutes' walk away.
After you get off: From Tomiura Biwa Club, walk northwest toward the sea to Haraoka Beach; the pier is about 15 minutes on foot.