We are off on a journey to Asia. This is our first time to this area of the world and it should prove exciting. I hope you enjoy following along with our travels.

WestJet currently has a direct flight from Calgary to Tokyo so that was our choice for this trip. YYC was very quiet on a Wednesday mid-day – and hurray for airport security here. They have upgraded to a system where you can leave everything in your bag – how efficient and easy!

It is a 10.5 hour flight from Calgary to Tokyo – we left at 1400 h on Wednesday and arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport at 1630 h on Thursday. The flight was good, we watched a lot of movies, read and I did nap for a bit.

Notes for anyone travelling from Canada to Japan. You do not need a travel visa – your Canadian passport is sufficient. They do however recommend that you complete the registration process on the Visit Japan Web site. Be sure to take a copy of the QR code you are given – we couldn’t find a download option, but took a screenshot and it worked.

Also, check the medications that you are taking with you against the currently forbidden list. For instance, Tylenol Cold & Flu is not allowed. We were not checked for anything – but better safe than sorry.

Arrival at Narita Airport went well. Having the QR code made things go smoothly.

We were able to catch a hotel shuttle bus to our hotel – the Narita Tobu Airport Hotel. The hotel is a large modern complex. Our ‘new style’ comfort room is great – roomy and immaculate with everything you need.

Harvey liked the provided robe and his Ninja look! 🙄

As WestJet had fed us, we just picked up a snack and settled in our room to relax – making ourselves stay awake until 9 pm. We woke at 5 am but felt rested. Breakfast at the hotel is excellent – basically anything you could want – any cuisine including a lot of items we would normally eat for lunch or dinner.

We had one day to spend before catching our next flight. We caught a hotel shuttle to the city of Narita, which is a 15 minute ride from the hotel.  This quaint yet bustling little town centers around the winding Narita Omotesando with its curio shops, eel vendors, and the massive Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple complex.

Narita Omotesando is the main shopping and dining street. We wandered the street stopping in at a few small shops to browse and have a couple of snacks.

The street is lined with fun animal statues. Here are just a few of them.

Eel is a specialty cuisine in Narita. We watched the preparation through the open windows of two restaurants. We haven’t decided yet if we will try it when we return later in March.

The town’s main attraction is Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple . A broad variety of temple buildings are scattered around on the spacious grounds of Naritasan, including the temple’s new and former main halls, a three storied pagoda and a huge Tahoto-style pagoda, named the Great Pagoda of Peace. The main temple is an Esoteric Shingon-sect temple built in 940 and dedicated to Fido Myo-o, the Deity of Immovable Wisdom.

There are about 12 million visits a year to the temple. On the day we visited, it was very peaceful and we were able to enjoy the complex without crowds.

Issaikyo-do (All Buddhist Scriptures Hall) was erected in 1722 and this revolving bookcase houses 2000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures.

My favourite building was Heiwadaito or the Great Pagoda of Peace. This five-story 58 m pagoda on a rise overlooking Narita-san Park was built in 1984 on the temple’s 1,150th anniversary. In the underground floor is a world peace time capsule with messages from 11 world leaders, due to be opened in 2434.

There is also a pleasant park, which incorporates both traditional Japanese and European elements.

After visiting the temple complex, we walked back up through the busy market street and found a great ramen shop just off the main area. Here we enjoyed a delicious early dinner.

An afternoon in Narita was a great way to start our journey. We will be returning to Tokyo in a few weeks – but tomorrow, we are off to Malaysia!

Cheers,

Bev & Harvey