Tulips in Chiba

About an hour out of Tokyo, in Chiba, an area known for both farmland and industrial productivity, there are some well- known tulip fields accompanied by a windmill. You learn quickly not to deem anything 'random' or 'out of place in Japan.' There are just way too many instances. This area is called Sakura, and there is a 'Dutch Tulip Festival' every spring when the tulips bloom, so we decided to check it out one weekend. Sadly, a lot of the tulips were past their peak and either in the middle of falling apart or bare- but there were enough to feel like it was worth it. Going inside the windmill was also a fun experience. My favorite thing I ate was this Funayassi pastry (he's a mascot for Funabashi- an asian pear- man- thing). It was filled with nashi (asian pear) paste<3 We ended the day by visiting Ikea on the way home, filling up on pastries, and buying all the candles. Day well spent.