Naritasan Shinshoji Temple: A Visitor's Guide with the Omotesando

Naritasan Shinshoji at a Glance

Naritasan Shinshoji is one of the largest Buddhist temples in eastern Japan, and it sits only a short train ride from an international airport. It belongs to the Chisan school of Shingon Buddhism, its main image is Fudo Myoo, and people across Japan have come here on pilgrimage for centuries.

It is still a working temple, with fire ceremonies every day, not a museum.

• Entry. It is free, and the grounds, the Great Main Hall and the park are open to everyone.
• Where. The address is 1 Narita, Narita city, Chiba, a 10-minute walk from Keisei-Narita or JR Narita Station.
• Time needed. Allow about 2 hours for the temple and park, or 3 hours with lunch on the Omotesando.
• Best for. It suits a long layover, a first or last day near Narita Airport, or a day trip from Tokyo.

For more places nearby, see our list of things to do in Narita.

History, Fudo Myoo and the Kabuki Connection

The temple was founded in 940. During the rebellion of Taira no Masakado in eastern Japan, the monk Kancho was sent by the emperor with an image of Fudo Myoo from Jingo-ji in Kyoto, and held goma fire rituals at Narita for 21 days to pray for peace.

On the last day the rebellion ended. When Kancho tried to return, the image would not move, so a temple was founded here and named Shinshoji, "new victory".

Fudo Myoo, the "Immovable" wisdom king, is shown with a stern face, a sword and a rope, and is prayed to for protection, safe travel and the removal of obstacles.

In the Edo period, pilgrimage to Narita spread among the people of Edo (Tokyo), helped by the kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro and his descendants, who were devoted to Naritasan's Fudo Myoo. The Danjuro family's stage house name is still Naritaya.

The 7th Danjuro donated the Gakudo hall in the grounds, and a stone statue of him stands inside it.

How to Get to Naritasan Shinshoji

Take a train to Narita, then walk 10 minutes down the Omotesando to the temple. Keisei trains stop at Keisei-Narita and JR trains at JR Narita. The stations are side by side.

From	Train	Time	Then
Narita Airport (Terminals 2 and 3)	Keisei or JR	About 8 min	Walk 10 min
Ueno	Keisei limited express	About 65 min	Walk 10 min
Tokyo Station	JR Sobu Line rapid	About 75 min	Walk 10 min

From Terminal 1, board at Narita Airport Station, one stop before Airport Terminal 2 Building Station. Children aged 6 to 11 pay half fare. IC cards such as Suica and PASMO work on both lines.

On New Year's Eve, trains run through the night.

What to See in the Temple Grounds

The grounds climb a hillside, so you meet the halls in order from the gates at the bottom to the Great Pagoda of Peace at the top. The main buildings are listed below from the bottom up.

Somon Gate and Niomon Gate

The Somon Gate, built in 2008, is the main entrance, a 15-metre gate of zelkova wood carved with the twelve animals of the zodiac. Above it, the Niomon Gate (rebuilt 1830, an Important Cultural Property) is guarded by two Nio statues and hung with a huge red lantern donated by the Tokyo fish market traders.

The Great Main Hall

The Great Main Hall (Daihondo), built in 1968, is the centre of the temple, where the goma fire ceremony is held. Fudo Myoo sits at the front with two attendants.

Anyone may go inside, and there is a lift for wheelchairs. Opposite the hall is a free, barrier-free rest area.

Three-Storied Pagoda

The red and gold Three-Storied Pagoda stands beside the Great Main Hall. Built in 1712, it is 27 metres tall and an Important Cultural Property.

Look up at the eaves, where each layer of rafters is cut from a single board and carved with clouds and waves.

Shakado, Komyodo and Gakudo

Three older halls show what the temple looked like before the present main hall. The Shakado (1858) was the main hall before 1968 and is covered in carvings of the 500 arhats.

The Komyodo (1701) was the main hall before that. The Gakudo (1861) holds votive plaques and ema paintings offered by worshippers, many from the Edo period. All three are Important Cultural Properties.

Great Pagoda of Peace

At the top of the grounds, the Great Pagoda of Peace (1984) rises 58 metres. Inside, the ground floor has displays on the history of Naritasan, and the upper halls hold Buddhist images and mandalas.

Naritasan Park

Behind the halls is a 165,000-square-metre park with three ponds, a waterfall and wooded paths. Plum blossom, cherry blossom, wisteria and autumn leaves each have their season.

When you clap your hands at the Ukimido pavilion, the carp swim over. The Naritasan Calligraphy Museum in the park is open 9:00 to 16:00, closed on Mondays.

The Goma Fire Ceremony

The goma is a Shingon fire ritual, in which monks burn wooden sticks in a sacred fire before Fudo Myoo while chanting and beating a great drum, praying for the wishes of those present. It runs every day in the Great Main Hall, and visitors are welcome to sit in.

• Morning goma. It starts at 6:00 from October to March and 5:30 from April to September.
• Daytime. Several more are held between 9:00 and 15:00. The exact hours change by month and by weekday or weekend, and differ on Setsubun.
• Prayer tablets. If you want a personal prayer, apply at the goma office before the ceremony. Offerings start at ¥5,000.

Arrive 10 minutes early, sit where the staff show you, and keep children seated and quiet. Do not photograph the ceremony, because it is a service of prayer.

Temple Etiquette

The temple's own guide describes a simple order, which it calls an example rather than a rule. Bow at the Somon Gate, rinse your hands at the water basin below the Niomon, and wave a little incense smoke over yourself at the large burner on the way up.

1. At the Great Main Hall. Bow, put a coin in the offering box, put your hands together and pray quietly, then bow again.
2. No clapping. Clapping is for Shinto shrines, not Buddhist temples.
3. Amulets. Omamori charms are sold on both sides of the Great Main Hall.
4. Leaving. Bow again at the Somon Gate on your way out.

Inside the halls, follow the signs on photography, take off hats and speak quietly. For the difference between temples and shrines at New Year, see our guide to New Year shrine and temple visits.

Naritasan Omotesando, the Walk from the Station

The Omotesando is the approach road from Narita Station down to the temple, about 800 metres, and walking it is part of the visit. Since the Edo period it has fed and housed pilgrims, and many shops have been run by the same families for generations.

The street slopes gently downhill to the temple, past old wooden shopfronts and the smell of grilled eel.

Eel Restaurants

Narita is known for unagi, eel grilled in a sweet soy glaze and served on rice. About 60 eel restaurants line the Omotesando and the streets around it.

Pilgrims ate eel for stamina in the Edo period, and some restaurants, such as Kikuya, trace their history to that time. The best-known places have queues at weekend lunchtimes, so eat before noon.

Rice Crackers and Sweets

Senbei rice crackers grilled in the shopfront make an easy snack for children. Yokan, a firm sweet of bean paste, is the classic Narita gift.

Nagomi no Komeya, a confectioner known for its chestnut yokan, has its main shop on the street.

Chomeisen Sake Brewery

Near the temple end of the street, the Kamicho area has some of the oldest shops, including the Chomeisen sake brewery. Adults can buy a bottle of local sake here.

Narita Tourist Pavilion

Halfway along, the free Narita Tourist Pavilion displays the decorated floats used in the Narita Gion Festival each July, with tourist information and a place to sit. It is open 9:00 to 17:00 (the exhibition until 16:30), closed on Mondays.

Festivals and Events Through the Year

New Year is the busiest time. Naritasan is one of the most visited temples in Japan for hatsumode, the first prayer of the year, and the grounds and Omotesando are packed from 1 to 3 January.

Trains run all night on New Year's Eve.

• February (Setsubun). Sumo wrestlers and actors from NHK historical dramas throw beans from a stage to drive out bad luck. See our guide to Setsubun bean throwing.
• July (Narita Gion Festival). Portable shrines and floats parade through town, and the cave behind the Komyodo is opened only during the festival.
• October to November. A chrysanthemum show fills the area around the Great Main Hall for about a month, at its best in early November.
• Late March to early April. The cherry trees flower in Naritasan Park.

Visiting Naritasan with Children

Children enjoy the temple more when they have something to do, such as drawing an omikuji fortune, watching the carp in the park, or sitting through part of a goma ceremony to hear the drum. The grounds have many stone steps, so bring a carrier for a baby or toddler rather than a stroller, or leave the stroller at the bottom.

Plan the walk so the uphill part comes when the children are fresh. The Omotesando slopes down to the temple, so the walk back to the station is uphill.

A taxi from the temple is short and cheap.

Sample Plans for a Layover or Half Day

The two plans below cover the temple, the park and lunch. Always build in time to go back through airport security.

Plan	Time in Narita	Route
Layover (5 to 6 hours between flights)	About 2 hours	Omotesando, Great Main Hall, pagoda, back to the station
Half day	3 to 4 hours	Omotesando, goma ceremony, halls, park, eel lunch, Tourist Pavilion

If Narita is the start or end of your trip, a Tokyo day can follow. Our Tokyo private tour with kids begins at your hotel and plans the trains and stops around the children.

For days outside the city, see our Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo and the Hakone travel guide. In Tokyo itself, Senso-ji in Asakusa is the temple most families see first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Naritasan Shinshoji from Narita Airport?

Take a Keisei or JR train to Keisei-Narita or JR Narita, about 8 minutes from Airport Terminal 2 Building Station. Then walk about 10 minutes down the Omotesando to the temple gates.

Is Naritasan Shinshoji free to enter?

Yes. The grounds, the Great Main Hall and Naritasan Park are free. The Naritasan Calligraphy Museum in the park charges admission, and personal goma prayers start at ¥5,000.

What time is the goma fire ceremony at Naritasan?

It runs every day in the Great Main Hall, at 6:00 from October to March (5:30 from April to September) and then several times between 9:00 and 15:00. Hours vary by month and day, so check the temple's schedule.

How long do you need at Naritasan?

About 2 hours for the temple and park, or 3 hours with lunch on the Omotesando. Add about 30 minutes for the train to and from the airport.

What is Narita's Omotesando famous for?

It is known for eel. About 60 unagi restaurants line the 800-metre street and the roads around it. It also has rice-cracker shops, yokan sweets, a sake brewery and the Narita Tourist Pavilion.

Can you visit Naritasan with a stroller?

Partly. The Omotesando is paved, but the temple grounds have many stone steps. A baby carrier is easier inside the grounds. The Great Main Hall has a lift for wheelchairs.

Sources

https://www.naritasan.or.jp/access/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/tour/hall/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/tour/other/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/pray/ogoma_shurui/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/about/howto/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/about/qa/
https://www.naritasan.or.jp/monthly/gyoji_year/
https://maruchiba.jp/gourmet/feature/detail_396.html
https://maruchiba.jp/spot/detail_10152.html