Matsudo City, Chiba

With a history of welcoming the traveler, Matsudo is flourishing as a base for lifestyle and creativity.  

The theme of travel and transit is strong in Matsudo, a city sitting on the northwestern edge of Chiba Prefecture. Facing Tokyo to the west, across the banks of the Edo River, Matsudo has been linking travelers of all stripes with the Japan capital for centuries. From the humble Edo era river crossing at “Yakiri-no-watashi,” where simple boats still ply the waters today, and the Mito-Kaido Highway, from which itinerant artists would leave behind their works as a form of payment for lodgings, the Matsudo of today now sits enroute between Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, plugging travelers into Tokyo, and both air hubs, in matter of minutes. 

But between the warm welcomes and fond farewells, there are those who choose to stay put, seeing Matsudo as a place to create a lifestyle. Here, an international university-student body, and a community of artists based at Matsudo’s Artist-in Residence Paradise Air bring a vibrancy to the city and an atmosphere among the many restaurants, bars and cafes that fosters creativity and the open mind.

Those who seek their inspiration among nature can also find it in Matsudo. It could be under the spring cherry blossoms or in the bite of a freshly-picked pear from a Matsudo orchid. For the more active, it might found be during a run or cycle along the wide open banks of the mighty Edo River.

Discover for yourself how Matsudo can welcome you!