Our Layover in Narita

Contributed by Arvin "Sky" Guillermo

It all started before our layover when we decided to check a trip advisory about what else to do in Japan. I and my fellow Cebu Pacific cabin crew namely Alyssa, Clarence, Desiree, Elle, Jv, Karla, Marie, and Riza, saw this interesting place called Narita-san Shinshō-ji temple located at Central Narita in Chiba and we decided to visit it. When we arrived in Narita, we decided to make the most of our layover.

In the first part of our video, you will hear a bell, which basically means "against the darkness of early dawn". While the world is still asleep, the sound of the ringing bell resonates from deep within the mountains. This sound, which awakens humans from their sleep, reverberates as far as the horizon and seeps into the Earth as deep as hell itself, to dispel a lifetime of pain and agony. 

We first ate original Takoyaki at Aeon Mall and took a public bus going to the temples. The water feature you will see is for cleansing and the incense is to purify and drive away bad spirits.

The Narita-san Shinshō-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple was founded in 940 by Kanchō Daisōjō, a disciple of Kōbō Daishi. -This temple is known for its fire ritual, which is performed several times a day. Visitors wishing to know their fortunes can purchase paper oracles from vending machines located on the grounds or pay a visit to one of the local soothsayers.

From Narita STATION, it will be about a 15min walk down the road. Along the streets, there are plenty of good finds and good or traditional Japanese food. At times you will also see a few locals dressed in Kimono as they shop or walk along the streets.

​Enjoy this layover video of ours! Thanks for watching!

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