Ichikawa
Japan · Asia
About Ichikawa
Ichikawa is a city in western Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2024, the city had an estimated population of 492,749 in 256,229 households and a population density of 8577 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 57.45 square kilometres (22.18 sq mi). The city has good transportation connections to the center of Tokyo, as with many areas of Chiba Prefecture. Major rail routes and roads pass through the city.
Ichikawa is located in the northwestern part of Chiba prefecture, about 20 kilometers from the prefectural capital at Chiba and within 10 to 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The western border of the city is separated from Edogawa Ward of Tokyo by the Edogawa River. The southern part of the city is an alluvial plain about two meters above sea level, and the northern part is part of the gentle Shimosa Plateau rising about 20 meters above sea level. The highest point is 30.1 meters in Satomi Park. Parts of the city are on reclaimed land at sea level.
Ichikawa travel guide
Understand
Ichikawa is situated in the western part of Chiba Prefecture, facing Tokyo, across the Edogawa River. Located approximately 20 km away from Tokyo Metropolitan area, the city has fully developed into a residential area. You are unlikely to come here for the local attractions, but if you're looking for a slice of "real Tokyo" that's still only 20 min away from the city center, staying here might be a viable option.
Tourist information site The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.
Getting there
Ichikawa can be accessed from Tokyo by 1 JR Ichikawa station (JR市川駅), 19 min away on the Chuo-Sobu and Sobu Rapid lines, and 2 JR Motoyawata station (JR本八幡駅), on the Chuo-Sobu and Toei Shinjuku subway line. If coming in by plane, 3 Keisei Yawata (京成八幡駅) on the Keisei Main Line has frequent services directly from Narita Airport (1 hr), with some through trains to Haneda Airport as well. Keisei Yawata is 300 meters down the road from JR Motoyawata, with the Toei Shinjuku line platform connecting the two.
Getting around
There are plenty of train lines crossing Ichikawa in an east-west direction, but for north-south travel public transport is limited to poky buses that crawl along the narrow, surprisingly congested streets. (This is one of the few areas of Tokyo that was not flattened by bombing in World War II and still retains its old street plan.) Bicycling is thus quite popular.
See
1 Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall (東山魁夷記念館), 1-16-2 Nakayama (15 minutes walk from Keisei Nakayama station (keiseidentetsu line)), ☏ +81 47-333-2011. Small museum for the famous nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) artist. Admission:¥500 for adult, ¥400 Above 65 years old, ¥250 High school, University Student. 2 Ichikawa City Zoo (市川市動植物園). Tu-Su 9:30-16:30. Ichikawa's best-known attraction is this modest zoo with listless animals in cramped concrete cages. It's frankly rather depressing and best avoided. Adult/child ¥440/110. (updated Jan 2026)
Eat
1 Yamazaki Plaza Ichikawa (ヤマザキプラザ市川) (JR Yamazaki stn, north exit). Yamazaki Baking is the largest baking company in not just Japan but the entire world, and Yamazaki Plaza is their original headquarters, hosting no less than three restaurants. The ground floor has a casual bakery-cafe where you can watch pastries being made, while the second has a casual Western-style restaurant (hamburg steaks etc) and the downright fancy French restaurant Lumiere. And if you're still hungry, there's a Yamazaki Fresh supermarket in the basement. 2 L'agente (ラジェンテ), 4-17-16 Sugano,, ☏ +81 47-316-2970. Th-Tu 11-15, 17:30-22. Excellent Italian food, the chef trained in Italy and everything including pasta, bread and biscotti is handmade. Both lunch (3/4 courses) and dinner (8-10, a la carte also available) are incredible value. The restaurant is small, so book ahead, and it's a one-man show, so expect to spend a few hours if you go with the full dinner course. Lunch from ¥2500, dinner from ¥5000. (updated Jan 2026)
Sleep
1 Hotel R9 Premium Ichikawaekimae (near JR Ichikawa stn, North Exit). Opened 2024, this slightly upmarket business hotel is as good as it gets in Ichikawa. ¥15000. (updated Jan 2026)
Go next
Urayasu Funabashi Kamagaya Matsudo Shiroi Narashino Kashiwa Yatsukaido Chiba
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.