Naritasan Park

Naritasan Park is a large garden park (about 165,000 m²) using the hilly land behind Shinshoji Temple’s main hall. It’s a place to enjoy seasonal flowers, with many azaleas, satsuki, and maple trees planted throughout. In spring, about 350 cherry trees reflect beautifully in the park’s pond, delighting visitors. In autumn, the ‘Momiji Matsuri’ (Autumn Leaves Festival) is held amid vivid fall colors from about 250 old trees such as kunugi, nara, and ginkgo; highlights include tea gatherings held in the especially colorful Akamatsu-an, plus performances like koto and erhu—well worth seeing. In early spring, a Plum Festival is held, where you can enjoy free outdoor tea (nodate) in a plum grove filled with red and white blossoms. A must-stop spot is the Suikinkutsu (water harp cave) near the Naritasan Calligraphy Museum within the park. A suikinkutsu is a garden ornament where water drops fall into a jar and resonate, producing clear, koto-like tones when you listen closely. Because fewer gardens have suikinkutsu today, it’s especially worth hearing the sound here. Access: about a 20-minute walk from JR Narita Station.