Recently we went to a small local town that's close to Tokyo. That place is called Nagareyama and it's located in Japan's Chiba Prefecture. Nagareyama City, a city with a population of about 180,000, is a popular residential area (because the rent is so cheap!) with convenient transportation that can take you to Tokyo in about 20 minutes.
　In Nagareyama there is Tone Canal which leads to the center of Tokyo's Edogawa, and its original purpose was for carrying goods by ship quickly and safely to Tokyo around the 1890's. So just on that information alone, you can expect there is a lot of unknown history and things to do here. 
Which is whhhhhhhy, we decided to write about it and share with you all!!

1. Cafe ONIWA

　A majority of the area in Nagareyama is covered with trees and other greenery and neat little cafes are hidden all over. Cafe Oniwa, for example, is the representative cafe and restaurant of Nagareyama. Cafe Oniwa is pretty hidden, but it has a lot of character and unlike any cafe or restaurant that we've been to in Japan yet. There are a lot of cafes and shops in Nagareyama that have renewed buildings because the city subsidizes them all. It is said that about 7 shops and cafés have been created as a subsidy system to prevent some of the depressing phenomena that historic buildings disappear. That is something you don't see in Tokyo. 

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1. ISSA-SOJU MEMORIAL HALL (一茶双樹記念館)

2. KUBOTA MISO SOY SAUCE (窪田味噌醤油)

3. KUBOTA SAKE (窪田酒造)

4. NAGAREYAMA MUSEUM (流山街中ミュージアム)

Manjo "Shiromirin" (clear mirin), the specialty of Nagareyama city marked its 200th anniversary in 2014. Taking this opportunity, Nagareyama Honcho Machinaka Museum was set up to exhibit the historical material on Shiromirin on the walls of Kikkoman Corporation in Nagareyama which inherits the flavor of original "Manjo," one of the two big brands of Shiromirin in Nagareyama. This museum exhibits the rare items such as the oldest mirin label in existence in Nagareyama, the old posters of "Appare" of the Akimotos and Manjo of the Horikiris which led the mirin industry, etc. The museum aims to attract many visitors to Nagareyama, and to promote the vitalization and tourism in Nagareyama Honcho as a new tourist spot of an outdoor intown museum.
 

2. KALEIDOSCOPE GALLERY MISEGURA (見世蔵)

Although kaleidoscopes are a little unfamiliar to some cultures, they're easy to use. Apparently, there are even world conferences that value the view and designs one sees when they use it.

We never thought there would be a place where you can see SO many kaleidoscopes all in one spot. There are a lot of kinds of kaleidoscopes ranging in shapes and colors, you are sure to have a good time here.

3. SASAYA (笹屋商店)

The store Sasaya is a bedding shop with a history of about 155 years. One may not think that this place would be very popular, but in fact, it's pretty well known for Japanese futon, pillow, and blanket repairs. Many Japanese still sleep on futons, a cotton pad mattress on the floor, but once it wears and tears or loses its padding, they just throw it away. But by coming here you can save your bedding, save your money (because it's cheaper obviously), and save the hassle of figuring out the proper way of throwing out bedding.

Do you know any unknown gems of Japan?
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