Naritasan Shinshoji Temple

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is a temple located in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Chisan-ha branch of the Shingon sect and is commonly referred to as "Narita Fudo" or "Narita-san." The temple was established in 940. The principal deity enshrined here is Fudo Myoo, and it is ranked among the three major head temples of the Chisan-ha Shingon sect in the Kanto region, alongside Takao-san Yakuo-in and Kawasaki Daishi Heiken-ji.

The grounds of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple feature a mix of old and new buildings, which gain an even more solemn and elegant atmosphere through the embellishment of cherry blossoms, wisteria, hydrangeas, and various other valuable ancient trees. Among these, five historic structures built between the mid and late Edo period — the Niomon Gate, the Three-Story Pagoda, the Shaka Hall, the Hatto Hall, and the Komyo Hall — have been designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The temple also houses a variety of facilities including a large garden, a calligraphy art museum, a history museum, and a Buddhist library. Along its 800-meter-long approach, there are convenient travel amenities such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It attracts large numbers of worshippers every New Year’s for hatsumode (the first shrine/temple visit of the year), making it the second most visited pilgrimage site in Japan after Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple

Must-visit reason: One of the most famous temples in the Kanto region of Japan

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Japan[Japan]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Chiba Prefecture [Chiba Prefecture]

City where the attraction is located: Narita [Narita]