I took an early morning walk in Narita just after daybreak. The sunlight was falling across the temple grounds, the air was crisp and clear, and with so few people around, it felt especially peaceful.
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is not far from Narita Airport, so it’s a great first or last stop on a trip. The grounds are fairly large, though, so be sure to allow extra time if you want to explore and pray properly.
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple | Review by 金己田
Other Reviews by 金己田
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Irohazaka Winding Road
Connecting central Nikko to Lake Chuzenji, this 15.8 km scenic road is a renowned tourist route. It consists of two separate roads: the "First Irohazaka" for descending and the "Second Irohazaka" for ascending. The road features 48 hairpin turns, named after the 48 characters of the ancient Japanese syllabary "Iroha." The origins of Irohazaka trace back to the mountain worship of Mt. Nantai, dating to the Nara period. Due to its sacred nature, the Okunikko area, which begins at Irohazaka, was considered holy, and women were prohibited from entering until the Meiji era. The area was developed and opened in the Showa era.
The Irohazaka mountain road is full of twists and turns, but the bus driver was incredibly skilled. I didn’t feel scared or carsick at all going up or down the mountain.
Watching the mountains covered in red autumn leaves through the window was amazing, and every turn brought a different view.
Even better, we didn’t run into the traffic jams we’d heard about. Being able to enjoy this fall foliage trip without having to drive ourselves made it absolutely perfect. -
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Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding at the flagship Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding Store!
Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding is a classic Nara souvenir that includes a line of luscious, local flavors including the Nara special custard, Yamato Tea, a spiked pudding made with regionally sourced Nara sake and the Nara yae-zakura pudding topped with Yoshino cherryblossoms.
I came across a branch of Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding inside Kintetsu Saidaiji Station without planning to, and there was no line at all, so I could take my time choosing.
In the end, I bought the yogurt and ancient rice pudding flavors to try. Both were on the lighter, more refreshing side. After finishing them, you can also keep the jar lids as souvenirs. -
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Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi Shirakawa Flagship Cafe
The popular coffee shop born in California, USA opened the first shop in Japan in October, 2019, as Kiyosumi Shirakawa Flagship Cafe.
The building’s exterior is sleek and stylish, and the interior feels open and bright. But the overall atmosphere is a bit hard to warm up to, lacking some of the comfort and relaxed feel you’d expect from a coffee shop. It felt like the kind of photo-op spot that you only need to visit once.
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