Narita Gion Festival

Overview

The Narita Gion Festival is a summer festival held every July in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, centered on the Gion-e Buddhist rite of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Set along the temple gate district and the Omotesando approach of Naritasan, lavishly decorated floats, stalls, and portable shrines parade through the streets over three days, drawing roughly 450,000 spectators each year and ranking among the largest festivals in the Kanto region.

While Naritasan Shinshoji is famous for its principal image of Fudo Myoo, this festival honors the Dainichi Nyorai enshrined in the inner sanctuary, prayed to for abundant harvests and the happiness of all people. The fact that a Buddhist temple holds a festival bearing the name Gion reflects a distinctive character rooted in the historical fusion of Shinto and Buddhism.

History and Origins

The origins of the Narita Gion Festival are as old as the history of Naritasan Shinshoji itself, and a festival close to its present form is said to have been held by the mid-Edo period. The temple is an ancient one, founded in 940 during the mid-Heian period, and in the Edo period devotion to Narita Fudo spread explosively among common people, filling the gate town with pilgrims from Edo.

The Dainichi Nyorai honored by the festival is a hidden Buddha enshrined in the inner sanctuary, symbolizing the very foundation of the universe in esoteric Buddhism. A faith that overlaid this Dainichi Nyorai with the Gion deity to pray for the warding off of epidemics and for good harvests took root under the thought of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism. That the form of the Gion-e was preserved as a Buddhist temple rite even after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era speaks to the religious singularity of this festival.

Each neighborhood of the gate town owns its own float and stall, maintaining community solidarity through their upkeep and operation. The floats, adorned with fine carvings and figures, are the pride of each district, and the festival functions not merely as entertainment but as a place to pass on the history and faith of the town of Narita to future generations.

Highlights

Parade of Ten Floats, Stalls, and Portable Shrines Floats and stalls set out from the neighborhoods around Naritasan and parade through the gate district and Omotesando together with portable shrines. Each float is richly decorated with intricate carvings and figures depicting historical personages such as Yamato Takeru and Empress Jingu, and the sight of everyone from adults to children pulling them through the town is emblematic of summer in Narita.

Sobiki (The Grand Pull) The climax of the festival is the sobiki, in which all the floats and stalls gather in one place and are pulled together with combined strength. The lineup of every district's float is a spectacular sight, the sounds of the festival music overlapping as the shouts of the pullers echo through the gate district. The sense of unity, with each district staking its honor, produces the festival's greatest fervor.

No-no-ji Mawashi (The Figure-of-Ten Turn) On the sloping, narrow streets of the Naritasan Omotesando approach, the heavy floats are spun vigorously in a motion tracing the shape of the character for the syllable no. This turn is a rough and thrilling spectacle unique to the Narita Gion Festival. The skill and strength of the pullers, who deftly maneuver the massive floats on the steep slope, are put to the test, and great cheers rise from the spectators the moment it succeeds.

Contest of Festival Music Atop each district's float, festival music of flute, drum, and gong is performed. The melodic phrasings handed down in each neighborhood intermingle along the approach, letting spectators feel the festival's excitement through their ears as well. The traditional tones convey the depth of the performing arts culture long nurtured by the gate town of Narita.

Event Information

• Location: Narita City, Chiba Prefecture (the gate district of Naritasan Shinshoji and the Naritasan Omotesando approach)
• Period: Early July each year (three days centered on July 7, 8, and 9, including the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nearest the 7th)
• Main Events: Procession of the Dainichi Nyorai portable shrine, parade of ten floats and stalls, the grand pull, and the figure-of-ten turn
• Access: About a 10-minute walk from JR Narita Station or Keisei Narita Station to the Naritasan Omotesando approach. Traffic is restricted in the surrounding area during the festival, so public transport is recommended
• Admission: Free to watch from the roadside
• Official Information: Dates and parade routes are announced through the Narita City Tourism Association and Naritasan Shinshoji

Nearby Attractions

Naritasan Shinshoji, the stage of the festival, is a renowned temple of the Kanto region, boasting one of the largest numbers of New Year pilgrims in Japan. Its solemn Great Main Hall, three-storied pagoda, and votive hall stand in a row, and visiting the temple alongside the festival lets one feel its weight as a center of faith. Behind the precincts spreads Naritasan Park, a place of rest where one can enjoy the nature of the four seasons and a strolling garden with a central pond.

The Naritasan Omotesando approach is lined with a townscape retaining the atmosphere of the Edo period, with long-established restaurants serving the local specialty of grilled eel and shops offering souvenirs such as yokan and rice crackers. Enjoying a walk while sampling food amid the festival's fervor is a pleasure unique to Narita, and the approach itself is a sightseeing highlight.

Narita City is also an international gateway home to Narita International Airport, and not a few travelers stop by before or after using the airport. Aviation-themed facilities such as the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences are scattered about, letting visitors savor the charm of a town with two faces: traditional festival and modern international city.

Related Information

• Month: Early July (summer)
• Prefecture: Chiba Prefecture (Kanto region)
• Object of Worship: The Dainichi Nyorai of the inner sanctuary of Naritasan Shinshoji (Gion-e, Shinto-Buddhist syncretism)
• Parent Temple: Naritasan Shinshoji (founded in 940)
• Scale: Ten floats and stalls parade; annual attendance of about 450,000
• Highlights: The grand pull, the figure-of-ten turn, and the contest of festival music

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