Narita

Narita (成田市) is a city in Chiba prefecture, Japan, some 70 kilometers to the northeast of Tokyo.

The vast majority of Narita's visitors come there for one reason only: Narita Airport, Tokyo's international gateway. But there are a few attractions in the vicinity if you have a short layover and don't want to waste 2-3 hours of it on the long hike to Tokyo. Firstly, Narita town itself is very charming with lots of quaint winding old streets lined with old wooden shops. The pace of life here is dramatically different to that of nearby Tokyo and is very relaxed. Naritasan is one of the most-visited temples in Japan. Its major annual festivals, with parades and traditional performances, give you a glimpse into a historical Japan. The city is a major congregation point for airline staff too so you can take it that most of the foreigners in town are Air Crew. This means there's a bit more to Narita's nightlife than may seem at first in this sleepy town.

• Naritasan Shinshō-ji Temple. Said to date back to 800 AD, the large temple has a wide assortment of classical Japanese pagodas and halls and a pleasant quasi-European park. Half the fun is getting there: the kilometer-long Omote-sandō from Narita station is a giant shopping arcade filled with restaurants and souvenir shops. Directions are available from the airport's Tourist Information Desk. The largest of its many annual festivals are on January 1 (shogatsu) and February 3 (setsubun). An online event calendar is available in Japanese.
• Sakura-no-Yama. Is located near the northern end of the main runway of Narita International Airport. Unfortunately there is no bus service to this location. There is nice little park with beautiful cherry trees and a good view of airplanes landing and taking off from the main runway.
• Sanrizuka Goryo Ranch Memorial Hall, +81 476 35-0442. 25min by bus from JR Narita Station. Open 9AM-4PM daily except Mondays. Admission free.
• Museum of Aeronautical Science, +81 479 78-0557. About 15min by bus from Narita Airport (JR/Keisei Station). Open 10AM-5PM. Closed on Mondays, year end and new years holidays. There is a charge to get into the main building, which has an observation deck on the fifth floor.
• Narita Tourist Pavilion, +81 476 24-3232. Open 10AM-6PM (June through September) and 9AM-5PM (October through May). Closed on Mondays and during year end period.. Learn about Japanese Tea Ceremony every Thursday from 10:30AM.
• Boso No Mura, 1028, Ryukakuji Sakae-machi Inbagun Chiba (20 minute drive from Narita airport; 15 minute drive from Narita station; bus available from stations near by, +81 476-95-3333. 09:00-16:30. A living museum of traditional Japanese culture. Enjoy the exciting activities on the reproduction Japanese town street. The superb burial mound and the samurai residence are a must-see for anyone interested in Japanese history. Exotic traditional festivals are held every now and then. Film-location for historical dramas. Next to Doramu No Sato (drum village) and Komorebi Restaurant ￥150-￥300.
• Narita Wholesale Market, 45 iinaka (About 10min by walk from Keisei Kōzunomori Station, +81 476 24-1224. A public wholesale fish, fruit, and vegetable market.

Naritasan Shinshō-ji Temple. Said to date back to 800 AD, the large temple has a wide assortment of classical Japanese pagodas and halls and a pleasant quasi-European park. Half the fun is getting there: the kilometer-long Omote-sandō from Narita station is a giant shopping arcade filled with restaurants and souvenir shops. Directions are available from the airport's Tourist Information Desk. The largest of its many annual festivals are on January 1 (shogatsu) and February 3 (setsubun). An online event calendar is available in Japanese.

Sakura-no-Yama. Is located near the northern end of the main runway of Narita International Airport. Unfortunately there is no bus service to this location. There is nice little park with beautiful cherry trees and a good view of airplanes landing and taking off from the main runway.

Sanrizuka Goryo Ranch Memorial Hall, +81 476 35-0442. 25min by bus from JR Narita Station. Open 9AM-4PM daily except Mondays. Admission free.

Museum of Aeronautical Science, +81 479 78-0557. About 15min by bus from Narita Airport (JR/Keisei Station). Open 10AM-5PM. Closed on Mondays, year end and new years holidays. There is a charge to get into the main building, which has an observation deck on the fifth floor.

Narita Tourist Pavilion, +81 476 24-3232. Open 10AM-6PM (June through September) and 9AM-5PM (October through May). Closed on Mondays and during year end period.. Learn about Japanese Tea Ceremony every Thursday from 10:30AM.

Boso No Mura, 1028, Ryukakuji Sakae-machi Inbagun Chiba (20 minute drive from Narita airport; 15 minute drive from Narita station; bus available from stations near by, +81 476-95-3333. 09:00-16:30. A living museum of traditional Japanese culture. Enjoy the exciting activities on the reproduction Japanese town street. The superb burial mound and the samurai residence are a must-see for anyone interested in Japanese history. Exotic traditional festivals are held every now and then. Film-location for historical dramas. Next to Doramu No Sato (drum village) and Komorebi Restaurant ￥150-￥300.

Narita Wholesale Market, 45 iinaka (About 10min by walk from Keisei Kōzunomori Station, +81 476 24-1224. A public wholesale fish, fruit, and vegetable market.

If you are going into Narita, make sure to get some Japanese yen (¥) as most places will not take foreign currency. The 7-Eleven outside of the west gate of JR Narita station takes foreign cards 24 hours a day (except Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus), and there is also a post office with ATM a few blocks down the street from the am/pm store. For those with UnionPay or Discover cards, the Mitsubishi-UFJ ATMs located on the second floor of terminal 2 or the departure area of terminal 1 of the airport will probably be more convenient (you MUST push the "English" button to start; the machine will NOT recognize any non-Japanese cards in Japanese language mode). Also allow a bit of time for exchanging back leftover currency on departure as this is not something you can do at an ATM! There IS a Mizuho Bank dedicated cash exchange machine in the airport, however, it only exchanges in "money packs" and rates are unfavorable.

• AEON Mall Narita, 24 Wing-Tsuchiya (Frequent bus departures from Keisei Narita station, ¥200. 7:00-23:00, most stores open 9:00-22:00. A very large shopping mall within spitting distance of Narita Airport. Over 150 stores can be found here, including anchor Jusco Aeon Narita and foreign outlets like Starbucks and Sports Authority. Popular with foreigners due to its proximity to the airport.

Besides the AEON mall, there are souvenir stores on the road leading to the temple, as well as a reasonably interesting "100 yen" store -- which actually sells items for ¥108 including consumption tax -- along the way.

AEON Mall Narita, 24 Wing-Tsuchiya (Frequent bus departures from Keisei Narita station, ¥200. 7:00-23:00, most stores open 9:00-22:00. A very large shopping mall within spitting distance of Narita Airport. Over 150 stores can be found here, including anchor Jusco Aeon Narita and foreign outlets like Starbucks and Sports Authority. Popular with foreigners due to its proximity to the airport.

Many shops on the main street sell unagi (うなぎ) broiled eel in a sweet sauce. It can be expensive for a standard plate (unaju (うな重), layered on rice, is ¥1500) but it is quite tasty. Look for the guys cleaning and chopping the eels right by the street-side.

Another great option is takoyaki (たこ焼き), or fried octopus balls. These are popular on the go treats, going for ¥360 for ten small takoyaki. Order zenbu (全部) to get all the toppings. There is a stand right by the Keisei line station main exit (left as you are leaving). Look for the little cartoon octopus pulling a cart of fried balls.

Don't forget to get a hot and sweet dorayaki (どら焼き), or sweet red bean pancake from a little shop across the main street.

• Papas is one good place to eat in Narita. It's a wee place not far from the main 'Sando' street, which only holds about 16 people. But the food is great (Japanese-style 'izakaya' type food, or 'Sets' at ¥1500 for drink, starter and choice of main meal) and the service from Mama-san and Papa-san is first-rate. He speaks great English too!
• Cafe Le Bon, (or The Spiral Staircase) (Cafe Le Bon has moved as of July 2015 - it is now on the opposite side of the Keisei Narita station). Now opens at 5:00 pm with drinks starting at 4:30 pm. It consists of one small upper room with a semi circle of hot plates, on which your food is cooked in front of you and two small tables. The menu consists of one item: an all-you-can-eat meal including a huge drink, Japanese salad, gyoza, oriental chicken, wedges and ice cream, starting around ¥1680 depending on what you're drinking. Stuffy and hot, but extremely welcoming, friendly, quick, and the food is delicious.
• Grill House Hero's, 845-8 Hanasaki-Cho (walk down the little street to the right of JR Narita station), +81 476 22-9002. Open daily 5PM-0AM. One of the best places to eat Okonomi-yaki style food. Menu is available in English. Food prices range from ¥580 (cheese omelette) to ¥1900 (Steak), Drinks are ¥320 (softdrinks) and ¥550 (Beer).
• Lion's Den Across the street from the Barge. Old airline crew hang out. Local mom and pop restaurant with cheap dining selections.
• Hitsujiya Narita, In Ometo-sando (Left into Omote-sando, approx 200mtrs along on left hand side(just after Thai restaurant on right, opposite Maxi...??), +81 476-85-7234. 5-11pm. Food is just great. Possibly a strong Korean influence. Only has 4-5 tables. Service is good, family run. Menu is only in Japanese, but owners have fair grasp of English. Locals also eat here. ¥380 - 1000.
• Shin Shin, +81 476-22-4252. 11:30AM-2PM 5PM-11PM L.O. 10PM. Nice, quiet restaurant with good Japanese food. Kaiseki and other sets and a short selection of good sake and shochu. Menu is only in Japanese, but just select any set based on your budget. ¥2,000-6,000.
• Ramen Bayashi, 533-9 Komeyabiru (Walk a couple of hundred meters north along Ometosando (the main shopping street) from outside the JR Narita station, look for the sign on the right.. A good Ramen restaurant with menu in Japanese and English (and pictures). ¥1000 gets you ramen with beef or chicken, ¥500 a medium draft beer. The gyoza are particularly good. Popular with airline crew, look for the many stickers above the door and the books of crew comments by the door. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. ¥1000-2000.

Papas is one good place to eat in Narita. It's a wee place not far from the main 'Sando' street, which only holds about 16 people. But the food is great (Japanese-style 'izakaya' type food, or 'Sets' at ¥1500 for drink, starter and choice of main meal) and the service from Mama-san and Papa-san is first-rate. He speaks great English too!

Cafe Le Bon, (or The Spiral Staircase) (Cafe Le Bon has moved as of July 2015 - it is now on the opposite side of the Keisei Narita station). Now opens at 5:00 pm with drinks starting at 4:30 pm. It consists of one small upper room with a semi circle of hot plates, on which your food is cooked in front of you and two small tables. The menu consists of one item: an all-you-can-eat meal including a huge drink, Japanese salad, gyoza, oriental chicken, wedges and ice cream, starting around ¥1680 depending on what you're drinking. Stuffy and hot, but extremely welcoming, friendly, quick, and the food is delicious.

Grill House Hero's, 845-8 Hanasaki-Cho (walk down the little street to the right of JR Narita station), +81 476 22-9002. Open daily 5PM-0AM. One of the best places to eat Okonomi-yaki style food. Menu is available in English. Food prices range from ¥580 (cheese omelette) to ¥1900 (Steak), Drinks are ¥320 (softdrinks) and ¥550 (Beer).

Lion's Den Across the street from the Barge. Old airline crew hang out. Local mom and pop restaurant with cheap dining selections.

Hitsujiya Narita, In Ometo-sando (Left into Omote-sando, approx 200mtrs along on left hand side(just after Thai restaurant on right, opposite Maxi...??), +81 476-85-7234. 5-11pm. Food is just great. Possibly a strong Korean influence. Only has 4-5 tables. Service is good, family run. Menu is only in Japanese, but owners have fair grasp of English. Locals also eat here. ¥380 - 1000.

Shin Shin, +81 476-22-4252. 11:30AM-2PM 5PM-11PM L.O. 10PM. Nice, quiet restaurant with good Japanese food. Kaiseki and other sets and a short selection of good sake and shochu. Menu is only in Japanese, but just select any set based on your budget. ¥2,000-6,000.

Ramen Bayashi, 533-9 Komeyabiru (Walk a couple of hundred meters north along Ometosando (the main shopping street) from outside the JR Narita station, look for the sign on the right.. A good Ramen restaurant with menu in Japanese and English (and pictures). ¥1000 gets you ramen with beef or chicken, ¥500 a medium draft beer. The gyoza are particularly good. Popular with airline crew, look for the many stickers above the door and the books of crew comments by the door. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. ¥1000-2000.

• Barge-Inn. Omote-sandō (the road leading to the temple), Great pub serving western-style food, plus local & international beers. Every Saturday there's live music and/or dancing.
• The JetLag Club. About 50yds round the corner from the Barge, there's another watering hole run by a Belgian guy named Vince. The beer's great, and the atmosphere is really friendly. Free popcorn is provided, as well as a delivery service from 'Papas'.
• The Cage Out of the JR train station, straight through the plaza, right at the AM/PM, down about 100 yards, across the street, 2nd floor. Karaoke bar.

Barge-Inn. Omote-sandō (the road leading to the temple), Great pub serving western-style food, plus local & international beers. Every Saturday there's live music and/or dancing.

The JetLag Club. About 50yds round the corner from the Barge, there's another watering hole run by a Belgian guy named Vince. The beer's great, and the atmosphere is really friendly. Free popcorn is provided, as well as a delivery service from 'Papas'.

The Cage Out of the JR train station, straight through the plaza, right at the AM/PM, down about 100 yards, across the street, 2nd floor. Karaoke bar.

If you have more than 8 hours to spare, you should seriously consider making the effort to visit Tokyo itself, although with limited time it really is best if you plan where you will go in advance of arriving at the airport.