This is an interesting article about a planned development in Chiba-ken. There are other developments like this, namely Tama in western Tokyo-to and Kohoku in Kanagawa-ken, but apparently those two have been much more successful. Has anyone been out here? I've stayed in some of the small communities in Chiba that serve as commuter towns for Tokyo, I liked them, but they were not large, planned neighborhoods like this.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/how-tos/the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town/
Hokuso Line, which serves the area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokus%C5%8D_Line