A Walk around Narita (Part 1) / 成田の散歩 （パート１）

Last weekend Mikako and I took a walk around Narita - the City, not the airport! More specifically, we went to Naritasan Shinsho-ji. The temple was built in 940AD and is the second most popular temple for hatsumode (first visit to a shrine for New Year's), the first being Meiji Jingu in Shibuya. It is also very popular during Setsubun which according to my book "Moons, Months and Seasons" is described as being [the turning point from winter to spring, according to the lunar calendar]. And to celebrate the coming of spring and to get rid of evil spirits, a bean throwing is held - this tradition is called mame-maki. During setsubun, you can usually spot celebrities doing the bean throwing. I've only watched it on television but maybe we will actually go to Naritasan next year during setsubun. But before reaching the temple grounds, we walked along the main drag that's full of souvenir shops, unagi (eel) restaurants, and a variety of other stores in Showa style buildings.

先週の休日、僕と美香子は成田まで散歩に行きました。成田市、成田空港ではないですよ。もっと細かく言えば、目的地は成田山新勝寺。９４０ADに建てられたお寺です。ここは明治神宮の次に初詣の参拝客が多いところです。節分に芸能人が豆まきをするのも有名です。私たちは節分の時に行ったことありませんが、いつか行ってみたい。成田山に着く前に、商店街を歩くのはもう一つの楽しみです。いろんな店があって、お土産屋とか、うなぎのレストラン、で建物がすべて昭和時代で造られた感じです。雰囲気も素晴らしい。

The above are pictures of the main street leading to Naritasan Shinsho-ji.

上記の写真は成田山につづく商店街です。

Statue of Takajo Mitsuhashi (well-known Haiku poet) who was born in Narita.

三橋鷹女の像 （俳句で有名な方、成田生まれ）。

The main drag was full of little stone animals.

商店街は干支の石造でいっぱい。

Well okay, perhaps the turtle isn't one of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

あっ、干支に亀はないですね。

The entrance to Naritasan Shinjo-ji / 成田山新城寺の入り口

Nio Mon Gate / 仁王門

Main Temple / 大本堂

Three Storied Pagoda / 三重塔

Shotoku Taishido / 聖徳太子堂

To be continued...

つづく。。。