If I were to rank the most memorable parks I’ve ever visited, Naritasan Park would arguably be near or at the top. I’m not sure what it is with this park but being here gave me sense of peace that I didn’t really expect.
Naritasan Park: My Morning Visit During Winter
So previously I talked about the Naritasan Shinshoji temple and its various views and halls. Naritasan park is part of the temple complex and can be accessed through this entrance here. Remember the Great Main Hall? If you’re facing that just turn to your right and then you’ll easily find this sign.
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More importantly, you’ll also find this very handy map of the whole temple complex. The sign on the left of the map basically enumerates the ponds and other attractions you’ll see in the park.
Here’s a clearer view of the map. Take note of the big red dot as that indicates the current location of the sign board. As we can see, the park is huge! I think it covers roughly the same (maybe even more) area than the buildings.
Here’s another signboard showing directions of major landmarks with the map in the background. The topmost sign (with the arrow pointing to the right) says Naritasan Park while the sign (with the downward pointing arrow) under it reads Naritasan Musuem of Calligraphy.
Here’s a more detailed map of Naritasan Park. It shows the names of the various ponds and more importantly the locations of water closets/toilets.
One of the first attractions you’ll see in the park is the Shinsho-ji temple pagoda. You’ll also be able to access the temple from here if you just go up those steps. To get here, you’ll need to follow the pathway to your left as you enter the park proper.
If you decide to choose the pathway to the right then this is the view that you’ll be left with. When I took this picture, this part of the stream was particularly busy thanks to these ducks and their morning routine.
I might be wrong but I think these are Eastern spot-billed ducks. They’re a partially migratory species and are not endemic to Japan. You’d usually find them further up north but since it’s winter they’re probably just here for a stopover.
Naritasan Park in the morning is simply beautiful. The moss on the ground, the noise the birds and other wildlife make, and the rays of the sun just starting blanket the water and the ground all combined to give me a sense of peace and serenity.
A lot of the trees in the park are deciduous which just means that they lose their leaves in the winter seasons. I was honestly expecting it to snow since I read that the place is just beautiful when it does.
Regardless if it snowed or didn’t, I still think the place looked great! This particular pathway really stood out because of all those leaves and how they contrasted perfectly with the evergreen trees (sorry not an arborist so don’t know what those were called) in the background.
I mean just look at this. Also, that stone pagoda or toro is probably one of the largest I’ve seen up until this point. For some reason, there’s this kind of otherwordly vibes that I got from it. I’m not sure but it’s probably because of how out of place it seemed? Regardless, it does make for a great picture subject so you might want to get your cameras out when you pass by here.
Here’s another view of the toro. From this vantage it actually looks a lot more natural and not as out of place. It still looks otherwordly though.
After that scenic walk, I finally reached Monju Pond. At this time, the pond was absolutely teeming with Eastern spot-billed ducks.
If I remember correctly, this was the bridge that separated Monju Pond from Ryuju Pond. I really liked how the sun’s rays filtered through the trees and served to highlight the bridge in this picture.
What’s a Japanese garden and pond without koi? While Monju Pond had the ducks as its main wildlife attraction, Ryuju Pond has these large koi ( (just like the pond in Oyama Shrine in Kanazawa).
Honestly, this image looks like it came straight out of a postcard. Again, I highly advise you to visit Naritasan Park in the morning. I just can’t write down into words the feeling I got when I saw this view.
While I did expect to see some koi when I decided to visit the park, I didn’t think the ones I’d find here would be this large. It’s also nice that the water wasn’t as murky during my visit.
I’m pretty sure this was my best shot of the pond’s denizens. On a side note, I asked around and apparently it’s possible to feed the fishes here. You’ll need to shell out a couple hundred JPY though as you’ll need to buy the fish feed. Had I done that, I might have had more of these guys in my picture!
At this point, I’m already getting close to the Naritasan Museum of Calligraphy. It’s also close to midday at this point so its understandably sunny.
Before heading to the museum, I took a couple more pictures of Ryuju Pond. I saw this movie once called the ‘Garden of Words’ by Makoto Shinkai and this view really reminded me of one of my favorite scenes in that.
One thing that I’ve noticed at this point during my walk is the prevalence of moss in the park. I wouldn’t say it’s taken over the park but it does add a certain ‘forest charm’ to the place.
Another realization I had when taking pictures here is that it’s not just koi that calls the pond home. There’s also mirror carp and possibly other varieties of Cyprinus carpio (which koi is a variety of).
As I said earlier, Naritasan Park is huge and after all the walking I had to take a rest in one of these. Chairs like these are scattered around the park and they’re strategically placed so that when you sit on them you’ll also get to enjoy views like this.
After taking a much needed rest, I then started heading over to the Museum of Calligraphy. Before I got there though I made sure to take a picture of this plane that’s likely going to land in nearby Narita Airport.
Unfortunately, the Naritasan Museum of Calligraphy was closed when I visited. Thankfully there are still a lot of things that you can do even with the museum not accepting visitors.
Unlike the temples and halls in the rest of the temple complex, the Naritasan Museum of Calligraphy features a more modern (though still very much Japanese) design and architecture. Honestly, I really wanted to see the inside of the museum.
Here’s the schedule of the museum. There is a translation in English so make sure you take notes (or take a screenshot) so that you won’t make the same mistake I did! Also, while the park itself is free to access, the museum isn’t. You’ll need to bring JPY500 for entry though this could be waived for certain individuals (e.g. those with disabilities and their guardians/people accompanying them).
With the Museum of Calligraphy closed during my visit, I decided to just go ahead and take in the views of Ryuchi Pond. This is the largest pond in the park and as such it also looks like it’s the grandest.
Look what I spotted! This is Ukimido Hall and is said to be arguably the most iconic structure in Naritasan Park. The trees kind of blocked the view in this picture but I guarantee it’s so much better in person.
Here’s a much better view of Ukimido Hall with Ryuchi Pond in the background.
Is that a banner for unagi I see? Apparently there are restaurants in the area that serve unagi. I personally didn’t try it when I was there though. Hopefully I’m able to go back some time soon to see (and taste) if it’s good.
Here we have the park’s open area. You’ll be able to find this on a hill overlooking Ryuchi Pond. There’s also toilets/water closets in the area. At this point, you should be more than halfway done with walking through the park (assuming you follow the recommended route) so you might as well rest for a bit.
We’re finally at the Stone Monument Area. This, in my opinion, is one of the eeriest places in the park. I wouldn’t say it’s scary but rather it evokes a sense of solemness and reverence.
I was rather intrigued by this specific monument so I searched it up. Apparently it has some connection to Takaham Kyoshi, a poet active during the Showa era who was also known for his haikus.
As I was nearing the exit point of my walking route, I came across garden that I wasn’t sure was Western or Japanese-style. I feel like this would look really good once the trees get a new set of leaves in the spring and summer.
These honestly threw me off when I first saw them. I was like ‘are these for real’? Turns out these were just structures used to protect trees from snow. This technique/process is called yukitsuri and is fairly common practice in Japan. What I’m not sure though is what trees are being protected here.
And this ends my walk of Naritasan Park. I thought it would take the whole day but since I followed the recommended walking route, I managed to finish relatively quickly. Make no mistake though it was still a long walk. That said, I more than enjoyed the whole experience. It provided a change of pace from the constant hustle and bustle of my travels. More importantly, it gave me time to ruminate and appreciate the providence I’ve enjoyed thus far. If I had more time, I’d definitely explore the areas that I wasn’t able to go to.
Despite not being able to visit the Museum of Calligraphy (entirely my fault), I still had tons of fun at Naritasan Park. In case you’re in Japan and want to relax and unwind then you definitely need to find time to visit this park.
