Chiba Prefecture encompasses a wide, diverse landscape on the east side of Tokyo, that is known for its coastal scenery and seaside escapes thanks to the Boso Peninsula that extends south, with Tokyo Bay to its west and the Pacific Ocean on its east side.
The prefecture—bordering Ibaraki, Saitama and Tokyo—offers suburban comfort and is a popular place to reside for Tokyoites given its commuter links and reliable access from the north of Chiba. Southern Chiba is similarly well-connected via Kisarazu’s bridge/undersea tunnel highway Aqua Line, defined by the unique Umi-Hotaru (Sea Firefly) highway rest station—an engineering marvel that proudly sits in the middle of Tokyo Bay.
Chiba is blessed with a rich natural environment of mountains and a Pacific Ocean coastline that straddles the global Kuroshio sea current which sees warmer-water fish gravitate here from the south. This makes for a thriving fish industry and nowhere is this more evident than the city of Choshi — located on the far northeastern tip of the prefecture (and Kanto region as a whole) along the border with Ibaraki.
Seafood in Choshi
Choshi City is home to Choshi Port, one of several fishing ports in the city and known for having the highest annual fishing haul in Japan. Defined by the 57.7m-high Choshi Port Tower, a twin-towered glass construction that offers 360-degree views of the port area and coastline, the port is known for bountiful catches of mackerel and sardines, as well as tuna and kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino).
As well as the fish market, Choshi’s fishery reputation extends to the multitude of seafood restaurants—like Kaheiya—that dot the coastal region, all serving fresh local seafood.
Fish products from Tawara Kanzume
Founded in 1929, Tawara Kanzume is a seafood canning and processing company based in Choshi, originally finding success with its sanma (Pacific saury) products before expanding into many other lines including saba (mackerel) and iwashi (sardines).
During the 1960s, they also found considerable success exporting overseas to the UK, EU, Africa and South Asia, but given the evolution of the exchange rate the domestic Japanese market remains their main target these days.
Their product lines carry a sense of history, with some of their much-loved, traditional brands still selling well today, including their kabayaki-style canned herring or saury. This style uses a sweet marinade in the grilling process. It is based on soy sauce—another staple ingredient the Choshi area itself is known for.
In contrast, Tawara Kanzume’s more modern can lineup comes prepared in square aluminum trays that pack more filet meat, and are lighter overall. The flavors include more modern styles (sardines in olive oil) as well as more modern packaging likely easier to decipher by younger generations.
Why not bring a taste of Japan home by trying some of Tawara Kanzume’s products on your next visit? With great shelf life and portability, they can make ideal small souvenirs and Tawara also provides some recipes or serving suggestions on their official website.
The products themselves are sold in supermarkets and drug stores (like Welcia) across the Kanto and Tohoku regions, but they also run a Rakuten shop front too.
Tawara Kanzume’s Initiatives
Tawara Kanzume is not just committed to creating great canned seafood products, but also playing a responsible and ethical role in our society out of respect for the environment. They recognise the value of adhering to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and aim to contribute in the following ways:
No Poverty, Zero Hunger (SDGs 1 and 2)
For example, they provide canned food to support government-led humanitarian relief efforts. Thanks to their durable cans and heat sterilized processing, their food products have great shelf life giving them additional value when it comes to disaster relief. This has allowed them to support the World Food Programme as well as Japanese government initiatives, like providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine or food assistance to disaster-hit areas around the world.
Responsible production and consumption (SDG 12)
When packing their cans, Tawara Kanzume strives to reduce fish waste wherever possible. Their pressure and heat sterilization process makes their fish edible right down to the bone. And parts that are removed before canning—like heads, tails and internal organs—are supplied to a specialized feed company that processes all collected waste into feed and fertilizer.
Tawara Kanzume, as a fishing processor, quality control is paramount. Although a lot of the production line uses automation, their team is at hand every step of the way for quality control and, in many cases, their staff still manually pack the tins due to differences across the fish range and to prevent damaging the fish meat.
The team operates under strict hygiene measures and safety management standards, with two factories dividing up processing of mackerel production in one, and grilling sanma/saury kabayaki in the other.
At each stage of the production, such as fish cutting or foreign object identification, the team perform visual checks alongside the work of their automated sensors.
Sightseeing in Choshi
Besides this area’s reputation for fresh seafood, there are several attractions worth visiting on any trip to Choshi, so consider dropping by one of the following:
Inubosaki Lighthouse
Located on the south-eastern side, the 31-m tall Inubosaki Lighthouse is one of 30 such lighthouses built in the early Meiji period (1868–1912) by British engineer Richard Henry Brunton. The 1874 brick construction houses a 99-step spiral staircase and, for a small fee, offers panoramic views over Cape Inubo and the Pacific Ocean from the observation platform.
The lighthouse and its first order Fresnel lens helped serve as a navigational beacon for over 140 years, helping light up the sea and protect the local shipping trade from danger.
Byobugaura (eastern cliff)
In sharp contrast to its east, Choshi’s southern coastline is dominated by the breathtaking views of uniquely formed cliffs and strata that stretch into the distance. A walk along the coastal promenade here offers unique views of cliff erosion, volcanic ash layers and curious rock holes that help explain why this landmark is a National Natural Monument. The geological value of this area also helped establish Choshi’s Japanese Geopark recognition. The approximately 10-km-long precipice was formed by historical sea wave erosion and made this a popular sightseeing destination dating as far back as the Edo Period. It was also featured in the ‘Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces’ prints by Utagawa Hiroshige.
Yamasa Soy Sauce Taste Experience Hall
Together with its seafood industry, soy sauce production perhaps also lays a claim for Choshi’s greatest heritage asset. Although soy sauce’s birthplace is said to be in Wakayama’s Yuasa, a nearby native—Gihei Hamaguchi—moved to Choshi and eventually started his company, Yamasa Soy Sauce, in 1645. With the growth of Edo in the east (modern-day Tokyo) and climbing demand, Yamasa—along with other breweries—helped put Choshi on the map as a soy sauce production center, becoming itself synonymous with quality soy sauce and earning a quality designation from the Tokugawa Shogunate itself.
Book a Yamasa Soy Sauce factory tour to go behind-the-scenes to learn more about the company and how their soy sauce is made—including the fermentation process. Don’t forget to browse the souvenir shop or try their soy sauce-flavored ice cream!
Getting to Choshi
Central Choshi’s main train station is JR Choshi Station, which is served by three lines: the JR Sobu Line, JR Narita Line, and the Choshi Electric Railway.
From central Tokyo, it’s about a 2.5-hour trip to reach Choshi, or about 1hr 40min if coming from Narita Airport.
If driving is an option, Choshi can be reached in around 2 hours via the E51 Higashi-Kanto expressway from Tokyo (or around 1 hour from Narita).
The Choshi Electric Railway connects many of Choshi’s coastal destinations along the 10-station-long line though, given declining ridership over the years, currently only operates around one train per hour during the daytime.
In summary
Chiba Prefecture is one of eastern Japan’s top producers of seafood and Tawara Kanzume’s canned fish products is just one example of this region’s rich seafood legacy. Visit our Seafood Journey feature page to dive into northeastern Japan's culinary delicacies and discover more passionate seafood and marine product processors.
