Narita

Narita is a temple town in Chiba Prefecture best known for the international airport that carries its name, and most travelers only see its runways. The old town deserves better: it grew up around a major Buddhist temple founded in the year 940, and the pilgrimage street survives intact.

Naritasan Shinsho-ji anchors the town, its halls and pagoda spread across a hillside that opens into a large park of ponds and woods. The approach street is lined with shops grilling unagi eel the traditional way, split and basted over charcoal in open kitchens.

With a spare half day around a flight, Narita makes a rewarding first or last stop in Japan; trains from both airport terminals reach the temple town easily, and hotels cluster near the station. Morning goma fire rituals at the temple start the day memorably. Eel lunch is obligatory.