Hondo-ji Temple

If you have been living in Japan for a while, Chiba is a synonym for Narita Airport, Disneyland and other mega factories. However, this is just one side of Chiba! Indeed, the sister prefecture of Tokyo has in fact many secret hidden gems that are worth your attention, like for example the Hondo-ji Temple! Built in 1277 the Hondo-ji Temple belongs to the Nichiren sect of Buddhism and was founded by Nichiro, a disciple of the famous monk Nichiren. Alongside its strong cultural and spiritual past, Hondo-ji is also famous for its amazing autumn colors as well as for its iris and hydrangea garden which blooms the first half of June.