Funabashi (船橋) is a city in Chiba, Japan.
.jpg)
Understand
[edit]Halfway between Tokyo and Chiba, Funabashi is best known for horse racing and shopping. Few tourists come to Funabashi as a destination, but it's a handy base for Tokyo Disney Resort.
Tourist office
[edit]- 1 Funabashi Tourist Association, Funabashi City hall 1-19-7 Minatocho, ☏ +81 47-436-2473, fax: +81 47-436-2466. M-F 09:00-17:00.
Tourist information sites
[edit]- Funabashi Style is the city's official multilingual guide site.
- The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]The main stations are 1 JR Funabashi 
on the JR Sobu line from Tokyo, adjacent to Keisei-Funabashi (which has direct services from Tokyo Narita Airport), and 2 Nishi-Funabashi , terminus of the perennially packed Tozai Line subway from Tokyo.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]
|
Funassyi!
Funabashi's most famous denizen is undoubtedly Funassyi, a vaguely pear-shaped yuru-kyara mascot you've likely seen in animated GIFs frantically running away from explosions. Originally strictly unofficial, he has now been enthusiastically adopted by the city and its people.  |
- 1 Funabashi Sanbanse seaside park (ふなばし三番瀬海浜公園), 40 Shiomicho (from Funabashi Station Take a bus), ☏ +81 47-435-0828.
- 2 Funassyi Park (ふなっしーパーク), 40 Shiomicho. Funassyi-themed children's playground.
Do
[edit]Incredibly, the city has two racecourses: Nakayama allows betting on weekends and Funabashi on weekdays.
- 1 Nakayama Horse Race Course (中山競馬場), 1-1-1 Kosakucho (JR Musashino Line take Funabashi-Hoten Station.), ☏ +81 7-334-2222. One of the four major JRA racecources. Famous for Arima Kinen, the highest betting horserace in the world and the Nakayama Grand Jump, Japan's premier steeplechase races. Adults ¥200 (meeting day only).
- 2 Funabashi Racecourse (船橋競馬場), 1-2-1 Wakamatsu, Funabashi. NAR racecourse run by Chiba Prefecture. Meet on weekdays. \100 (meeting day only).
Buy
[edit]Funabashi is known for its big-box shopping: it's home to Japan's first IKEA and many more.
- 1 LaLaport Tokyo-Bay (ららぽーとTOKYO-BAY), 2-1-1 Hamacho (near Minami-Funabashi station; route buses bound for Keisei Funabashi Station, JR Minami-Funabashi Station and JR Tsudanuma Station are available), ☏ +81 47-433-9800. One of Japan's largest shopping malls, it features 2 department stores and 440 shops.
- 2 Tōbu department store Funabashi (東武百貨店船橋店), 7-1-1 Honcho, ☏ +81 47-425-2211. 10:00-19:30.
Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]- HUB, 4-4-50 Honcho, ☏ +81 47-460-8682. 17:00-01:00.
Sleep
[edit]Pick carefully: Funabashi has more than its fair share of love hotels.
- JR East Hotel Mets Funabashi. Opened 2018, this modern business hotel is a cut above the competition and is directly connected to JR Funabashi station. From ¥15,000.
Go next
[edit]| Routes through Funabashi |
| Tokyo ← Kinshicho ← Ichikawa ← | W  S
|
→ Tsudanuma → Chiba → Narita Airport |
| Akihabara ← Ryogoku ← Kinshicho ← | W  S
|
→ Tsudanuma → Makuharihongo → Chiba |
| Shim-Matsudo ← Higashi-Matsudo ← | N  S
|
→ END |
| Tokyo ← Kasai Rinkaikoen ← Maihama ← | W  E
|
→ Kaihin-makuhari → Soga |
| Kashiwa ← Shin-Kamagaya ← | N  S
|
→ END |
| Keisei Ueno ← Aoto ← Keisei Yawata ← | W  E
|
→ Tsudanuma → Sakura → Narita |
| Nihonbashi ← Monzen-nakacho ← Gyotoku ← | W  E
|
→ END |
Kinshicho ← into  ← Shinozaki ← Ichikawa ←
|
W  W
|
→ Makuhari → into  → Kisarazu
|