【Chigasaki Station / Night Walk】(Chigasaki, Kanagawa) A Town That Feels Like the Sea

April 20th, 2026

KanagawaChigasakiChigasaki StationAround the Station

The street in front of Chigasaki Station at night. Restaurant lights illuminate the road and people pass by

Visited: Saturday, December 6, 2025

As I wrote in the article about Tsujido Station, when driving west from Tokyo there is also the inland route along National Route 246. Personally, though, I prefer the coastal route. On this day I stopped at Tsujido Station first, then continued on to the neighboring station, Chigasaki.

Chigasaki has a reputation as a place where you can feel close to the ocean and nature, while still being about an hour from central Tokyo. The city has a population of around 245,000. It developed as a villa and resort area from the Meiji period onward, which suggests it has long been seen as a pleasant and scenic place to spend time.

Chigasaki is also known for its connection to Southern All Stars. Keisuke Kuwata, the band's lead vocalist, is from Chigasaki, and the city appears in their songs from time to time. With that in mind, I took a walk around Chigasaki Station on a December evening.

Around the Station

Chigasaki Station north exit in the evening. Commuters and passersby fill the area

Entrance to the Emeroad shopping arcade on the west side of the north exit. A karaoke bar tout stands outside

On the west side of the north exit is a shopping arcade called Emeroad, where a tout for a karaoke bar was calling out to passersby.

Underground passage beneath the JR Tokaido Line tracks leading to the south exit

To reach the south exit, I passed through an underpass running beneath the Tokaido Line tracks.

The area around Chigasaki Station's south exit at night. Bars and izakayas line the street

The south exit side is just as lively as the north, with a stretch of bars and izakayas along the street.

Below the staircase at the south exit. Small local restaurants and bars are dotted around the area

While the north side has Lasca Chigasaki — a large shopping complex — the south side has a more local character, with smaller, independent eateries spread throughout.

The street around Chigasaki Station at night. A suburban station plaza with steady foot traffic

It has the feel of a typical suburban station in the greater Tokyo area — unpretentious and lived-in, with a decent number of people out even on a December night.

A row of yellow street lamps along the road, with a distinctive decorative design

These yellow street lamps caught my eye — cheerful and a little quirky. I meant to check what motif the design was based on, but forgot before I left.

A group of middle-aged men gathered outside an izakaya, clearly enjoying themselves

A group of men in good spirits outside an izakaya. Since it was Saturday, perhaps they were local friends out together for the night.

A red glowing sign for a yakitori restaurant, with a dimly lit alley behind it

The red glow of a yakitori bar sign and the dark alley stretching behind it — the kind of atmosphere you only get in a neighborhood like this at night.

A shop with a retro sign reading "Night Shonan"

A place called Night Shonan. I couldn't quite work out what kind of establishment it was, but the retro sign was hard to walk past.

Southern-dori street at night. The shopping street remains busy with pedestrians

One street to the west, if I remember correctly, is Southern-dori. It stays busy well into the evening.

Night view around Chigasaki Station's north exit. The station rotary and surrounding lights

Back on the north side to wrap up. If anything, the south exit felt more alive after dark. Chigasaki is often thought of as a beach town, but it has enough bars and restaurants to make a full night of it without ever leaving the neighborhood.