Narita Taiko Festival（成田太鼓祭り）

Every April, Narita Taiko Festival takes place over two days at the famous Naritasan Shinshoji Temple (成田山新勝寺) in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture. It is one of the top wadaiko (Japanese drum) festivals in Japan. A variety of about 60 groups from all over Japan, mainly from the Kanto area, gather here to perform.

It started in 1994 as “Narita Kando Gekijo” (成田感動劇場) which means “Narita impressive theater.” It was a small festival originally organized by the local community. It was renamed into “Narita Taiko Festival”(成田太鼓祭り) in 2003, and it quickly grew to a major event. 

【Ogoma-Kito】（御護摩祈祷）

Before the festival begins, you can experience “Ogoma-Kito” which is a Buddhist ceremony where hopes and worries are offered to the flames by burning special wooden sticks called “Gomagi.” If you are interested, you are welcome to observe the ceremony free of charge. If you would like the monks to pray for your wishes, you can purchase a special wooden stick (“Gomagi”), and it will be burned for your wishes during the ritual. This ceremony is a unique opportunity to experience traditional Buddhist prayers while enjoying the powerful sounds of chanting and drums.

 【Sengan-Hana-Daiko】（千願華太鼓）

The opening ceremony is called “Sengan Hana Daiko” (千願華太鼓). “Sengan” (千願) means a thousand hopes,  Hana (華) means not only a flower, but also colorfulness, brilliance, elegance and more. Around 800 wadaiko performers gather in front of the main temple and play the piece called “Pray for Peace”（平和の祈り）together with one heart, all at once. It is said that the sounds can be heard from as far as 20km away. It’s a must-see. 

【Street Stages】(参道ステージ)

Ten special stages are set up along the path that approaches the temple, and you can see a variety of performances on wadaiko here and there throughout two days. And also, high school students’ teams show their energetic and wonderful performances. 

【Senko Banrei Parade】（千鼓万礼パレード）

 “Senko Banrei “ means a thousand drums and a million thanks. The parade wraps up this festival with a bang on both days. Performers in colorful costumes parade for an hour and a half along the path that goes up to the temple, beating their drums with joy. 

【Sennen Yobutai】(千年夜舞台)

“Sennen Yobutai” means a night stage for a thousand years. When the sky is gradually bathed in the color of sunset, you can enjoy performances by special guests on the stage of the main temple. The stage is illuminated by “kagaribi” (traditional Bon fire), creating a mystical atmosphere.

2025（Support for Noto reconstruction）
Gojinjo Daiko(御陣乗太鼓保存会) – Ishikawa Prefecture,
Hono Daiko(焱太鼓) – Ishikawa Prefecture,
Yachiyo high school “Kogumi”(鼓組)
Wadaiko Nagi junior team（和太鼓凪ジュニアチーム）

2024
Kodo（鼓童）×Miyakejima Geino Dosikai（三宅島芸能同志会）
Choshi Hane Daiko Hozonkai(銚子はね太鼓保存会)

2023
Kodo×Miyakejima Geino Doshikai

【Sentouro】（千灯路）

“Sentoruro” means a thousand street lights. The path that leads up to the temple lights up with candles. The mystical atmosphere will make you feel relaxed.

【Recommendation for eating】

Narita is famous for eel (unagi), and there are many eel restaurants along the walkway up to the temple. The most popular one is “Kawatoyo” (川豊) where they prepare live eel right in front of you at the entrance of the restaurant. Their knife skills are truly impressive. It gets very crowded during this festival. You might have to wait two to three hours after getting a ticket for a seat. But it’s definitely worth the wait.

You can also enjoy a food stroll tasting various local snacks like rice crackers and Japanese sweets along the path up to the temple. Discovering hidden gems is sure to be fun!