Naritasan Temple

While impressive in size, the Great Main Hall's (Daihondo) exterior of woodwork and white coloring is more simplistic than its surrounding buildings. Inside, the prayer hall houses a statue of Fudo Myo-o, one of the site’s most important artifacts. It is customary for worshippers to bow before and after praying to the great deity.

The Fudo Myo-o statue in Daihondo is an important Buddhist deity said to be carved by Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Legend goes that the impressive statue found its home at Naritasan after Kancho Daisojo brought it to Narita to pray, and it refused to move. Fudo Myo-o takes on the appearance of the highest Buddha of Shingon Buddhism. The deity’s muscular body, deep blue skin tone, and angry expression, while intimidating, are meant to remove worldly desires from worshippers.

Standing beside Daihondo Hall is Naritasan’s Three Story Pagoda, which has an opulent exterior that is truly mesmerizing. Golden dragon heads protrude from the sides of the pagoda with intricate patterns of red, blue, green, and gold seamlessly flowing around them. The pagoda is dedicated to the Five Wisdom Nyorai (Buddhas).

Further into Naritasan is the Great Peace Pagoda, or Heiwadaito, a relatively recent addition built in 1984. Similar to many buildings at Naritasan, the tower’s exterior is decorated vibrantly with red detailing, which contrasts its green roofs. Apart from enjoying the building’s aesthetic, visitors can also enter the building to pray.

Just beyond the Main Hall is Naritasan Park. This huge wooded area is the perfect extension of the temple’s sacredness with its winding paths, peaceful nature, and centralized pond.

Goma Fire Ritual

One of the temple’s most sacred rituals is the Goma Fire Ritual, which is a special Goma prayer offered to Fudo Myo-o. In this ceremony, people provide their prayers and wishes on wooden sticks to the temple’s monks who burn them in a consecrated fire while chanting mantras. This purification ritual is symbolic of burning away participants’ unnecessary worldly desires to aid them in achieving a simple and happy life. The fire used in Naritasan’s Goma Fire Ritual is especially significant as it is said that it was used in a Goma prayer that ended war in the Kanto region over 1,000 years ago during the Heian period. Naritasan’s monks have kept the same flames burning with daily Goma prayers to this day.