Written by TC Team
Typhoon No. 25 tore across Chiba Prefecture over the Silver Week holidays, and JR East’s train network on the Bōsō Peninsula came off badly. The headline: the Uchibō Line between Anegasaki and Nagaura is closed for at least three months, which breaks the through-train route from Tokyo to Nokogiriyama, Tateyama, and the rest of the peninsula’s west coast. The gap is shrinking, though — trains returned between Nagaura and Kisarazu on October 5, and a replacement bus now bridges the closed section.
JR East has posted all of this in Japanese, but as of writing, its English site says nothing at all. So here is what’s running, what isn’t, what it means for Narita Airport (short version: nothing), and how to reach Bōsō anyway.
What’s running and what isn’t
This is JR East’s line-by-line plan issued on the afternoon of October 3, checked against its status page on the morning of October 5.
| Line and section | Status | JR East’s estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Uchibō Line, Anegasaki to Nagaura | Suspended, replacement bus from October 5 | At least about 3 months (counted from September 23) |
| Uchibō Line, Nagaura to Kisarazu | Running again since October 5 | 2 trains an hour each way; 20–30% of normal service at rush hour |
| Uchibō Line, Kisarazu to Awa-Kamogawa | Running again since September 26 | About 50% of normal service |
| Uchibō Line, Chiba to Anegasaki | Running | About 30% of normal service at rush hour, 70% midday |
| Sōbu Main Line, Yachimata to Narutō | Suspended, replacement bus | About 1 month |
| Sōbu Main Line, Chiba to Yachimata and Narutō to Chōshi | Running | About 70% and 80% of normal service; some trains turn back at Enokido |
| Narita Line, Sawara to Chōshi | Running again since October 4 | Reopened as planned |
| Narita Line, Chiba to Sawara | Running | 2 trains a day canceled |
| Kururi Line, Kisarazu to Kururi | Running again since October 3 | Reopened as planned |
| Kururi Line, Kururi to Kazusa-Kameyama | Suspended, replacement bus and taxi | No estimate |
Note: The Keiyō Line and the Sōbu Rapid Line are running normally, and the Sotobō Line down the peninsula’s east coast is running apart from six canceled trains a day between Chiba and Ōami. The limited expresses are a different story: the Sazanami to Tateyama is suspended until the Anegasaki–Kisarazu section reopens, and the Shiosai to Chōshi is down to three trains a day (nos. 4, 6, and 11) until Yachimata–Narutō is fixed.
JR East says its inspections found “soil inflow, flooded track, fallen trees, and other damage over a wide area,” and that even on the lines it is running, trains will be “greatly reduced.” Its advice to commuters is to work from home where possible.
Narita Airport is fine
If you’re only passing through Chiba on the way to or from Narita Airport, none of this affects you. Keisei, which runs the Skyliner and the Access Express, says its lines are operating normally. The JR Sōbu Rapid Line is running normally too, and the one Narita Line section the typhoon knocked out, Sawara to Chōshi, reopened on October 4 — it’s east of the airport anyway, not on the way to it. JR East is still canceling two trains a day on the Narita Line between Chiba and Sawara, so check the timetable if you’re going by JR.
The one thing worth a glance before you leave is the Narita Express, which JR East lists on a separate limited express status page. If you’d rather not think about it, take Keisei.
Getting to the Bōsō Peninsula without the Uchibō Line
The normal route from Tokyo to the west coast of Bōsō is the Sōbu Rapid or Keiyō Line to Chiba or Soga, then the Uchibō Line south through Kisarazu. With the Anegasaki–Nagaura section closed into the New Year, that chain is broken — though less badly than it was. Since October 5, trains run again between Nagaura and Kisarazu, and a replacement bus crosses the gap, but it carries only a fraction of what the trains did. The Nokogiriyama hike (Hama-Kanaya Station), Tateyama, and Kamogawa Sea World (Awa-Kamogawa Station) are all on the far side of the gap.
There are two good ways around it, and neither is new.
Highway bus through the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line
Buses from Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu, under the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, cross the bay on the Aqua-Line and land in Kisarazu in 45 minutes to 1 hour. Keisei Bus and Nitto Kotsu run the Tokyo Station to Kisarazu service for ¥1,400 one way; pay on board with cash or an IC card. Board at bay B11.
Going further south, the Akushii (アクシー号) buses run from the same terminal to Hota (for Nokogiriyama, ¥2,300) and on to Awa-Kamogawa Station and Kamogawa Sea World (¥2,600), taking 2 to 2.5 hours. No reservation needed.
For Tateyama, JR Bus Kantō and Nitto Kotsu’s Bōsō Nanohana buses leave from the Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo Station and take about 1 hour 50 minutes, from ¥2,700 one way (fares rise a little in busy seasons).
Important: the bus companies took a hit from the typhoon too. As of the evening of October 2, Keisei Bus says its express buses from Tokyo Station are running, but with landslide road closures the slower buses are still skipping a handful of local stops between Kisarazu and Kamogawa “for the time being.” Check the Keisei Bus status page (Japanese) before you go.
Pro tip: the Uchibō Line reopened between Kisarazu and Awa-Kamogawa on September 26, at about half its usual frequency. That means you can take the ¥1,400 bus to Kisarazu Station and pick up a southbound train there for Hama-Kanaya, Tateyama, or Kamogawa, skipping the closed section entirely.
Ferry across Tokyo Bay from Kurihama
If you’re coming from Yokohama or anywhere on the Keikyū line, the Tokyo Wan Ferry from Kurihama to Kanaya is the better option, typhoon or no typhoon. It’s running normally as of October 5. The crossing takes about 40 minutes and costs ¥1,100 one way or ¥2,000 round trip, and Kanaya port is a short walk from the Nokogiriyama ropeway. Take the Keikyū line to Keikyū-Kurihama Station, then the bus to the ferry port. The ferry company has posted a notice about road conditions around the ports after the typhoon, so allow a little extra time.
Replacement buses and taxis
JR East is running replacement buses on the closed sections and says they’ll run until the trains come back. The newest, from October 5, covers the Anegasaki–Nagaura gap on the Uchibō Line: first buses at 6:30 a.m. from Anegasaki and 6:10 a.m. from Nagaura, last at 8:50 p.m. from both. Between Yachimata and Narutō on the Sōbu Main Line, buses leave both stations from 6:30 a.m., with the last at 9 p.m. Beyond Kururi to Kazusa-Kameyama on the Kururi Line, buses and taxis run to match the train timetable.
JR East warns that the buses take much longer than the trains, and that with limited buses and seats you may have to wait for one — the Anegasaki–Nagaura buses carry only 10–20% of the line’s usual capacity. For the Sōbu Main Line, it suggests detouring via the Tōgane and Sotobō lines.
That means the rail route down the west coast works again, after a fashion: train to Anegasaki, replacement bus to Nagaura, then a train onward. It took JR East a week longer than the other sections to find the buses — autumn tour season made charters scarce — and space is tight, so for a day trip the highway buses and ferry above are still the easier way in.
One more thing: it’s still typhoon season. If another storm is heading for Kantō while you’re here, our guide to what to do in a typhoon covers planned suspensions and how to read the warnings.
Source: JR East
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.
