Danielle- Narita Temple

Narita Temple

Hey, everybody! So I'll be moving from Chiba to Saitama this upcoming Monday, and so in tribute to my beloved Chiba, I decided to make this post about my favorite temple there, Narita-san.

Narita-san Shinshoji Temple has become one of my favorite temples in Japan for a couple reasons. One, because of the beautiful hilly roads on the way there. Just look at this round-a-bout way I took to get there! This is why I prefer walking whenever possible!

Once you get closer to the temple, there are also a bunch of little shops on the Omotesando selling eel, and traditional crafts, and rice crackers, proving to be a great place to do some window-shopping.

Two, because the location is wide, open, and I can really feel the historical sense of Japan here (Narita-san was founded in 940) without the crowds of people all over. And BEHIND the temple is an absolutely gorgeous forest area with different trails that I've treked from start to finish. It is a popular temple, but I can always find some quiet place where I can walk and spend some time enjoying the tranquility.

BONUS!
Also, since I've been going to a lot of temples lately, I've learned how to use the ritual water cleansing (temizu) before entering a temple. First, wash your left hand, wash your right hand, take water in your left hand, wash your mouth, then wash your left hand again, and you're done! The gods will be pleased that you're all freshened up before going to visit them. :)

Oh, and also, this past week was "Golden Week", where everything is pretty much closed in Japan so people can take it easy. For my golden week, I took a trip to Kamakura (by the ocean) to visit some more temples and do some hiking. Once I get all those pictures sorted out (I went crazy, per usual), maybe I'll show you next post~

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