It’s Surprising How Much of Narita Can Be Seen in Just a 12-Hour Layover

NARITA, Japan —  The last time I passed through Japan on a flight back to the United States I found myself with a 12-hour layover at Tokyo International Airport.

As I walked down the deplaning ramp I saw my name on a folder on a message board. In the folder was the confirmation for continuing my flight, some meal coupons and instructions on how to get to the airline’s hotel-shuttle bus area.

My baggage would be transferred automatically. All I had to carry was a half-empty briefcase.

A sunrise shuttle-bus ride took me to a hotel outside the main airport area. Upon presenting my confirmation I received a key to a tiny room where I could freshen up, sleep or watch TV.

As I wandered through the lobby I found another passenger scheduled for the same U.S. flight. We decided to explore the hotel grounds and see where the main road went.

At the hotel entrance a bus pulled up. We hopped on, paid the fare and enjoyed a scenic ride to the town of Narita.

The cool morning air blew refreshingly through the open bus windows during our 20-minute ride. Whitewashed post-and-board fences enclosed horses in green fields.

In the neighboring plots, rows of greenery were protected by plastic tents.

As we entered the outskirts of town, houses showed a blend of traditional and modern Japanese architecture. Many had blue tile roofs and curved eaves. Most had the sliding shoji doors on each floor, open to let in the breeze.

Futon mattresses were hung over outside rails to air out. Along with these traditional appearances, many also had television antennas and solar collectors sprouting from roofs.

Passing through the business district, we watched shopkeepers sweeping and hosing down the walkways in front of open-air shops. We soon pulled up in front of the Narita train station.

The town was awakening. Businessmen wearing three-piece suits--with briefcases strapped onto backs of bicycles, mopeds, scooters and motorcycles--rode up and parked their vehicles in an ever-growing line under a covered walkway beside the station.

After straightening their ties, buying newspapers or catalogue-sized manga comic books and maybe something to eat from station-side vendors, they joined the growing crowd of commuters and disappeared into the station.

Behind the walkway, store owners hurriedly pushed display carts onto sidewalks in front of stores. The carts were overloaded with cans of fruit juice, coffee, soda, tea and beer. Also, rice cakes, oranges, apples and rice crackers.

A group of youths headed for school. They wore yellow baseball caps, white, short-sleeve shirts, red suspenders, short pants and matching backpacks.

High school students--recognizable in formal, dark-blue uniforms, military-style caps, jackets, trousers and the school insignia on their jackets--joined the crowd on the walkway.

Because everyone seemed to be going in the same direction, we thought it logical to follow. A pleasant aroma of ginger, spices and freshly-baked breadstuffs came from a tiny rice cake shop. We wandered into the store and bought some of the fresh siao-pao to nibble on while we continued our stroll.

Some high school students approached shyly and asked if we were Americans. They were delighted to practice their English on us.

From them we found out that the town’s elementary, junior and senior schools were on the grounds of a large Buddhist temple, a short walk down the road. The temple grounds also included a large park, library and museum.

As we strolled down a steep hill a massive tiled roof appeared between some of the trees behind the buildings on the opposite side of the street. Rounding the corner, we saw the entrance to the temple.

Two 10-foot-high stone lanterns flanking a flight of stairs served as the entrance to a commons area in front of the temple’s main grounds. Both sides of the commons area were lined with stands and shops that sold religious mementos, souvenirs and snacks.

Jasmine-Scented Clouds

Ginger, sandalwood and jasmine-scented clouds of incense billowed from a gray-green bronze incense burner in the middle of the commons area.

We walked through a three-to-four-story gate, under which hung a huge red-paper lantern, then up a flight of stairs and through a graveyard.

On either side of the stairway among the moss-covered tombstones stood a seven-foot weathered bronze statue of the Deva King warrior that protects the temple.

Ornately carved and painted temple dogs also stood guard. To the side of the walkway just before the central area a waterfall plunged over a 10-foot drop into a pool teeming with ornamental koi, goldfish, salamanders and turtles.

In the central area of the temple grounds a three-story pagoda, a huge Buddhist prayer wheel and a great hall were clustered in an open plaza. We arrived in time to see colorfully robed Buddhist monks, priests and their followers enter the large building that housed the carved statue of Fudo-Myoo.

Temple Grounds

We strolled the temple grounds, reveling in the ancient and mystical atmosphere. Afterward we started our walk back to the train station to catch the bus to the hotel.

As we walked up the street we bought inexpensive baskets, rice-paper paintings, post cards and other souvenirs. We also sampled more rice cake, bean cakes, sushi and other goodies.

Back at the hotel we freshened up, repacked our souvenirs and made use of the meal coupons at the hotel restaurant. We then checked out and waited for the airline shuttle bus to take us to the airport.

We had been in Japan for only 12 hours, yet had packed enough experiences into our brief interlude to last for days.

Narita’s main attraction, the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, is a must-see. The city has grown up around the temple to become a bustling suburb of Tokyo.

The temple administers the schools (kindergarten through high school), library, the Naritasan Reikokan Museum and a child-welfare institute with funds received from its more than 10 million visitors annually.

For more information on travel to Japan, contact the Japan National Tourist Organization, 624 S. Grand Ave., Suite 2640, Los Angeles 90017, (213) 623-1952.