In this video we spend the weekend touring through Japan's city of Narita. Just outside of Tokyo and only 10 minutes away from Narita International Airport, Narita is an easy day trip from the big city or a good way to spend a few hours if you have a layover. For us it is also an excellent introduction to Japanese culture, religion and cuisine.
Narita is probably most well known for its landmark temple, Shinshoji. This majestic monastery has shrines and temples spread out over many acres in the heart of the city. Guests are free to roam the grounds-- we witnessed a mixture of tourists as well as Buddhist lay people paying respect to various altars and deities. Maps are available at the information kiosk and they give detailed information about important dates and events of the temple's history. The temple grounds also includes a huge botanical garden that we didn't even have a chance to explore. For people like us who enjoy moving slowly and taking in the details, it's possible to spend all day exploring the temple and gardens.
People also visit Narita for it's charming walking street, Omotesando. Actually it's also a driving street and it can feel quite congested because of its narrowness and thin sidewalks. But for what it lacks in walking comfort it makes up for in aesthetic delight. Mostly cobbled, the street zig zags up a small hill (or down depending on where you're coming from) and maintains a decidedly traditional feel to it. Mostly for the tourists' sake, it feels. Fun shops of handicrafts and trinkets, restaurants and cafes line each side of Omotesando. If you're arriving by train, you'll find the walking street begins about two blocks from the station entrance.
Narita is also famed for unagi, or barbecued freshwater eel. We found a plethora of restaurants featuring this local delicacy all along Omotesando. Many restaurants put on a show of preparing the eel on full display of passerbys. For us it was simultaneously fascinating and disturbing to witness the transformation from water snake to haute cuisine barbecue. We happened to find ourselves seated at one of the highest rated unagi joints in town (very close to Shinshoji temple). There's obviously a gradation of quality between the various restaurants (for example, some unagi displayed in restaurant windows appears to have been sitting for many hours while our unagi was being cooked to order). And almost all unagi comes with a significant price tag. It was not our favorite Japanese food, but we're so glad we gave it a try.
What were some of the highlights of your visit to Narita? Orig you've never been, would you consider making a trip here while you're in Tokyo?
Your friends in travel,
Tyler and Bobby
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ABOUT US
We have been traveling together as a gay couple for 15 years. Bobby’s soul needs travel to survive. Tyler’s soul is most fully alive when he’s traveling. We are in search of all sorts of experiences: from bamboo huts to five star luxury. Night markets, street food, connecting with nature... the wider the range, the richer the adventure. We are sharing our travels through our YouTube channel and we can’t wait to meet you on the journey!
