Family Paradise in Chiba: A Trip to "Mother Farm"

Summary

A day trip to マザー牧場, maza bokujo in Chiba Prefecture. A real life farm where you can experience miking cows, herding sheep, horse riding, strawberry picking, bungee jumping and breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

**Has parking**Chiba**Any Age OK**Full day Activity**Medium cost**09:00-17:00**Closed for a period in December**

Rating: 10/10 + Tokyo Kazoku Gold Star


Website

Mother Farm (English available, although limited)

Location/Access

〒299-1601 千葉県富津市田倉940-3
Chiba-Ken, Futtsu-shi, Tagura, 940-3
TEL. 0439-37-3211

大きな地図で見る


By train: If you can read Japanese, there are fantastic instructions on the website: directions via train

There are 2 main routes you can take via public transportation: From Tokyo station to Kimitsu Station (君津駅) via Sazanami No. 5. From Kimitsu it is possible to arrange a bus from Mother Farm to come and pick you up. This is a reservation-based system however, so you'll need to make arrangements in advance: 0439(37)3211.

The second way would be to get the highway bus from the Yaesu entrance at Tokyo station; you'll want to get the bus heading to Kisarazu station 木更津駅. You'll arrive at the west exit, so you'll need to walk over the the east exit, before getting a bus direct to Mother Farm from there.


By car: Take the Keiyo Highway (京葉道路）out to Chiba, then from there the Tateyama Highway （館山自動車道）out to Futtsu Chuo IC (富津中央I.C). From there follow the signs to mother farm (The instructions on the signs are in Japanese. Make sure you revise your right　右, left 左　and traffic light 信号　before the trip!)

The journey will take 2-3 hours depending on your starting point in Tokyo, and the level of traffic on the roads.

Activities

There are a huge range of activities that will easily take up a whole day.

Shows: There are a number of shows, and they are scheduled to run throughout the day. The shows range from 15 minutes to 35 minutes, and vary between watching only and participation. The theme of the shows is farm related; so for example, sheep shearing, sheep herding and cow milking are staples. Many of the shows take place within a wooden dome, and therefore could be enjoyed even in the case of rain. There is also an animal parade that takes place at certain times in the day. The shows are all included in the price of the admission fee, and therefore you can participate to your heart's content, without having to stump up any extra cash.

Games: There are a few non-farm related games. For example: go-carting, bike riding, baseball pitching and bungee jumping. The bike-riding is quite interesting; it costs 300 yen and you get to ride any number of the wide variety of both large and small bikes within the riding area, for 15 minutes.

Tour: There is a tour which again runs at scheduled times throughout the day. You must book in advance (you are asked to choose a time and book upon gaining admission to the park). The tour consists of taking a bus up to the top of the mountain, before transferring to a tractor pulling a number of carriages, in a train like fashion. The tour then takes you around various places in the farm, including some that are not accessible via the regular walking paths. A good example of this is a field with very large bulls! At some point during the tour, the guide hands out pellets of food and everyone gets to feed a group of sheep. At the end of the tour, there are a number of foot baths (足湯), and you are free to remove your socks and shoes and enjoy the view of the mountains while bathing your feet in the relaxing warm water. There is also a nice little cafe where you can buy gifts and drink coffee while waiting for the next bus to come and take you back down the mountain.

Others: You are able to walk round much of the farm freely, and the area is divided up into areas depending on the animals living in those areas. You can hand feed the goats/sheep, ride on a horse, stroke the rabbits, or just enjoy the fabulous views of the surrounding mountains while lazing around on the lush green fields. There are also opportunities to pick both flowers and strawberries.



Food

The food is fantastic, although the range is fairly limited to standard Japanase staple (curry rice, Japanese-style hamburger etc. ) or Genghis Khan Hotpot. The Genghis Khan (pictured above) is a massive recommendation. You take your seat in the BBQ terrace, which is situated with a stunning view of the surrounding view, and then take your pick from the range of self-service meat and fish dishes towards the back of the terrace area. You then take the food back to your table, and cook it up yourself on the "Hotpot" provided. There is beer available, but a great option for the drivers out there would be a bottle of Mother Farm fresh milk. At 150 yen, it's a little on the dear side, but the freshly squeezed taste can't be beaten!

Cost

A family of four should budget around 15,000-25,000 yen including travel, food and admission fees. Children below 4 are free, and the cost is 800 yen for those older than 4 years. Adult admission is 1500 yen, but we paid 2200 yen for a set which included the park tour.

The Genghis Khan cost us 2720 yen in total.

Rating

On a sunny day, Mother Farm is a paradise for those with young children. The place is spacious, reasonably priced, jam packed with activities, beautiful, interesting, clean and safe. I heartily recommend you set off early in the morning, so that you can get as much time here as possible. They sell 2 yearly passes to the farm for 4400 yen, and if I wasn't writing this blog (and therefore needing to write about interesting new places each week) I would snap one up.

Pros: Great food, real life farm animals, beautiful scenery, a rich variety of activities and shows

Cons: A little far from Tokyo, rain could ruin the day.


Rating: 10/10 + Tokyo Kazoku Gold Star