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Chiba · City

Narita

成田市なりたしNarita-shi

A thousand-year-old temple town beside Japan's main airport

Narita is a city in northern Chiba best known as the site of Narita International Airport, Japan's principal international gateway. Its old core is the temple town of Naritasan Shinshoji, one of the most visited Buddhist temples in Japan, reached by a lively approach street only minutes from the airport.

Overview

Narita lies on the Shimosa plateau about 60 km east of central Tokyo, among rice valleys, woods and farmland that stretch north to the Tone River. For most of its history it was a temple town: Naritasan Shinshoji, founded in 940, drew pilgrims from Edo along the Narita Kaido, and inns, shops and restaurants lined the approach to its gate.

Since 1978 the city has also been the site of Narita International Airport, which handles the majority of Japan's international air passengers and much of its air cargo. The airport's construction on farmland provoked the long Sanrizuka struggle, one of post-war Japan's most bitter protest movements, and still shapes the area's landscape of runways, hotels and logistics parks.

For travellers the two halves of Narita meet conveniently: the temple and the Omotesando are about ten minutes by train from the terminals, making the town a favourite first or last stop in Japan and a destination for layover visits.

Landmarks

  • Naritasan Shinshoji

    成田山新勝寺Naritasan Shinshōji

    Head temple of the Chisan branch of Shingon Buddhism, dedicated to Fudo Myoo, with daily fire rituals (goma) in its Great Main Hall.

  • Niomon and three-storey pagoda

    三重塔Sanjū-no-tō

    The gate of 1831 and a richly coloured pagoda of 1712, both Important Cultural Properties.

  • Great Pagoda of Peace

    平和大塔Heiwa Daitō

    A 58-metre two-storey pagoda completed in 1984, housing exhibits on the temple's history.

  • Naritasan Park

    成田山公園Naritasan Kōen

    Wooded temple garden with ponds and waterfalls, especially colourful with plum blossom and autumn maples.

  • Omotesando

    成田山表参道Naritasan Omotesandō

    The winding approach of about 800 m from the stations to the temple, lined with wooden shopfronts, eel grills and sweet shops.

  • Sogo Reido

    宗吾霊堂Sōgo Reidō

    Temple honouring Sakura Sogoro, a seventeenth-century village headman remembered for petitioning the shogun on behalf of farmers.

Districts

  • Temple town

    門前町monzenmachi

    The old centre between JR/Keisei Narita stations and Shinshoji.

  • Airport area

    成田空港Narita Kūkō

    The terminals, cargo areas and airport hotels east of the town.

  • Sanrizuka

    三里塚Sanrizuka

    Former site of an imperial stock farm, now a park with memorials to the airport conflict.

  • Shimofusa and Taiei

    下総Shimōsa

    Rural districts in the north, towards the Tone River, with rice fields and farm villages.

History

According to temple tradition, the monk Kancho brought a sacred image of Fudo Myoo from Kyoto in 940 to pray for the defeat of Taira no Masakado's rebellion; when the image could not be moved after victory, Shinshoji – 'new victory temple' – was founded on the spot. In the Edo period the temple became hugely popular with Edo's commoners, helped by exhibitions of its image in the city and by the devotion of the kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro I, whose family took Naritaya as its stage name.

The railway arrived in 1897, and Narita became a city in 1954. In 1966 the government chose Sanrizuka and Shibayama for a new Tokyo airport; years of confrontation between farmers, students and police followed, and the airport opened in 1978. The towns of Shimofusa and Taiei merged into Narita in 2006.

  1. 940

    Naritasan Shinshoji is founded to pray for the end of Masakado's revolt.

  2. c. 1690s

    Ichikawa Danjuro I becomes a devotee; the Danjuro line adopts the stage name Naritaya.

  3. 1703

    The temple's image is first exhibited in Edo (degaicho), spreading its popularity.

  4. 1897

    The Narita Railway reaches the town.

  5. 1954

    Narita receives city status.

  6. 1966

    The government decides to build the new Tokyo international airport at Sanrizuka.

  7. 1978

    New Tokyo International Airport opens; it is renamed Narita International Airport in 2004.

  8. 1984

    The Great Pagoda of Peace is completed at Shinshoji.

  9. 2006

    Shimofusa and Taiei merge into Narita.

Culture

Narita's culture revolves around Shinshoji: goma fire rituals several times a day, taiko drumming, and a calendar of festivals that draws millions at New Year. The temple's link with the kabuki actors of the Ichikawa Danjuro line is celebrated at the Setsubun bean-throwing, where actors and sumo wrestlers appear on stage.

Festivals

  • New Year visit (hatsumode)

    初詣hatsumōde

    In the first days of January Shinshoji receives one of the largest numbers of New Year visitors of any temple in Japan.

  • Setsubun

    節分会Setsubun-e

    On 3 February, beans are thrown from a stage by kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and celebrities.

  • Narita Taiko Festival

    成田太鼓祭Narita Taiko Matsuri

    In spring, taiko groups from across Japan perform along the Omotesando and at the temple.

  • Narita Gion Festival

    成田祇園祭Narita Gion Matsuri

    In early July, floats and portable shrines of the town districts climb the Omotesando.

Food

  • Eel

    うなぎunagi

    Grilled eel on rice, prepared in view of passers-by in the old restaurants of the Omotesando.

  • Yokan

    羊羹yōkan

    Sweet bean jelly sold as the classic souvenir of the Naritasan pilgrimage.

  • Peanut sweets

    落花生菓子rakkasei-gashi

    Confectionery made with Chiba peanuts, sold along the approach.

Getting around

  • JR Narita and Keisei Narita stations, side by side, are about 10 minutes by train from the airport terminals.
  • From Tokyo, the Keisei main line and the JR Narita Line reach Narita in about an hour; airport express trains serve the terminals directly.
  • The temple is a 10–15 minute walk from the stations along the Omotesando.
  • Buses link the airport with hotels in the area; left-luggage services at the terminals make short layover visits to the temple practical.

Day trips

  • Sakura

    佐倉Sakura

    Samurai residences and the National Museum of Japanese History, about 15 minutes by Keisei.

  • Sawara and Katori Shrine

    香取神宮Katori Jingū

    Canal town of the Edo period and one of the oldest shrines in eastern Japan, about 30 minutes by JR.

  • Boso no Mura

    房総のむらBōsō no Mura

    Open-air museum of Boso life and crafts in neighbouring Sakae, with a large kofun burial-mound park.

  • Chiba City

    The prefectural capital on Tokyo Bay, with the Kasori shell mound and Makuhari.

  • Tokyo

    Asakusa and Ueno are about an hour away by Keisei.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalChibaChiba-shiCapital on Tokyo Bay, from Jomon shell mounds to Makuhari

Frequently asked questions

Can I visit Narita town during a layover?

Yes. The stations are about 10 minutes by train from the airport, and the temple is a short walk from them; a visit of three to four hours is realistic, allowing for immigration procedures.

Is Narita Airport in Tokyo?

No. It is in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, about 60 km east of central Tokyo; trains take roughly 40 minutes to an hour to reach Tokyo's main stations.

What is Naritasan Shinshoji famous for?

Its image of the fierce protector deity Fudo Myoo, its daily fire rituals, its historic buildings and its enormous popularity at New Year and Setsubun.

What should I eat in Narita?

Eel is the classic dish of the Omotesando, where restaurants grill it at the front of the shop; yokan and peanut sweets are typical souvenirs.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.成田市公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 成田市 (Narita City)
  2. 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
  3. 3.大本山成田山新勝寺 (opens in a new tab) — 成田山新勝寺 (Naritasan Shinshoji)
  4. 4.Narita International Airport (opens in a new tab) — 成田国際空港株式会社 (Narita International Airport Corporation)

Editorial team · Published: