Chikusei: The Town That Time Forgot (and I Kinda Liked It)
okay so i just got back from chikusei and honestly... it was weird. not bad weird, just... weird. like, you know when you walk into a room and forget why you're there? that's chikusei. but in a good way.
i was there for... well, no reason really. just needed to get out of tokyo for a bit. someone told me chikusei had "old japan vibes" and i was like, sure, why not. turns out they weren't wrong.
*the weather was... interesting. i just checked and it's 6.48°C there right now, feels like 4.37°C. so yeah, bring a jacket. or three. the humidity was 44%, which honestly felt kinda nice compared to tokyo's sweatbox energy.
i stayed at this tiny guesthouse that smelled like cedar and old books. the owner was this ancient dude who kept offering me mochi even though i said no like five times. but hey, free mochi.
things to do in chikusei (if you're into slow life):
- rent a bike and get lost in the rice fields
- visit the local onsen that looks like it hasn't been updated since 1982
- try the soba at that place with the plastic food display out front (it's better than it looks)
i overheard some locals at the convenience store saying the best time to visit is during the cosmos festival in october. apparently the whole town turns pink. someone else said the cherry blossoms in spring are "underrated but beautiful." take that as you will.
if you get bored, mito and ueno are just a short drive away. but honestly, chikusei's charm is in its slowness. it's the kind of place where you can hear your own thoughts... which can be terrifying or therapeutic depending on your life choices.
random tip: there's this tiny coffee shop near the train station that opens at 7am and closes whenever the owner feels like it. if you see it open, go in. the coffee's terrible but the conversation's free.
i didn't expect to like chikusei. i didn't expect anything from it. but that's kinda the point. sometimes the best trips are the ones where you have no plan and end up finding a town that feels like it's stuck in a time loop. and maybe that's exactly what you need.
where to stay: check out booking.com for local guesthouses.
what to eat: yelp.com has a few hidden gems listed.
more info:* tripadvisor.com for chikusei travel tips.
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