Narita City in Chiba Prefecture is widely known for Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and Narita International Airport. It is also famous throughout Japan as a unique “town of eel restaurants.” Narita’s eel cuisine is a beloved local food tradition shaped by history, religious pilgrimage, local culture, and careful attention to ingredients and preparation.
For visitors, enjoying freshly prepared eel along the historic approach to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is more than simply having a meal. It is an opportunity to experience a culinary tradition that has developed alongside Narita’s long history as a pilgrimage destination.
The popularity of eel cuisine in Narita is closely connected with the development of pilgrimage culture during the Edo period (1603–1868). One important figure in this history was the first Ichikawa Danjuro, a famous kabuki actor who was born in Narita.
As Ichikawa Danjuro became increasingly popular in Edo, his connection with Narita helped draw attention to his hometown. At the same time, pilgrimages to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple became increasingly popular among ordinary people in Edo.
Narita was conveniently accessible from Edo, making it an attractive destination for sightseeing and religious pilgrimages. As the town around the temple flourished, inns and restaurants in the temple district began serving local seafood, including eel from the surrounding waterways such as the Tone River and Lake Imba.
Eel was particularly valued during the summer as a nutritious food believed to help people maintain their strength. This tradition gradually became an important part of Narita’s culinary culture.
One of the best places to experience Narita’s eel culture is Naritasan Omotesando, the historic street leading toward Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. The street stretches for approximately 800 meters and is about a 15-minute walk from JR Narita Station.
More than 60 inns, restaurants, and other establishments serving eel can be found in and around this area. Many have developed their own recipes and traditions while continuing to emphasize the classic flavors of Narita-style eel.
As you walk along the street, the enticing aroma of eel grilled over charcoal often fills the air. Historic wooden buildings, traditional shops, and restaurants create an atmosphere that makes the journey itself part of the sightseeing experience.
Narita’s combination of pilgrimage culture, historic streets, and local cuisine has given the city a distinctive identity as one of Japan’s best-known destinations for eel.
Kawatoyo Honten is one of the most recognizable eel restaurants along the approach to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Founded in 1910, the restaurant occupies a traditional wooden Japanese building that is more than 100 years old. The building was once used as a hatago, a traditional inn for travelers, and retains an atmosphere reminiscent of old Narita.
One of the restaurant’s most eye-catching features is the enormous single-piece ginkgo-wood cutting board used in front of the shop. It measures approximately 3 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 30 centimeters thick.
Visitors can watch skilled chefs prepare the eel right in front of them. The eel is expertly filleted, skewered, and grilled over charcoal, creating what feels like a live cooking performance.
The freshly prepared eel is enjoyed at several stages of the cooking process, from being freshly filleted and steamed to being grilled. The finished eel is fragrant on the outside while remaining tender and fluffy inside.
Located beside the main gate of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, Surugaya is another long-established eel restaurant with roots dating back to the Edo period.
The restaurant originally operated as an inn and kappo-style Japanese restaurant before gradually specializing in eel. Its cooking process emphasizes careful preparation: the eel is filleted after an order is placed, lightly grilled, steamed, and then slowly cooked over Choshu Binchotan charcoal.
This careful process produces beautifully charred edges, a rich aroma, and tender meat that practically melts in the mouth.
Surugaya’s attention to quality extends beyond the eel itself. Its secret sauce is made with carefully selected ingredients, including Shimousa soy sauce fermented in traditional wooden barrels, Mikawa White Kujuno Hon Mirin, and rock sugar.
The combination creates a refined sweetness and depth of flavor that complements the natural taste of the eel without overpowering it.
The restaurant also uses only Chiba-grown Koshihikari rice. The rice is cooked using spring water known as Yokoshiba Ozutsu’s famous local water, which is collected fresh each day. Even the pickles served alongside the meal are homemade, reflecting the restaurant’s meticulous approach to every part of the dining experience.
Surugaya also offers the rare branded eel known as Oiigawa Kyosui Unagi. This eel is raised using carefully selected feed and groundwater from the Southern Alps flowing beneath the Oi River area of Shizuoka Prefecture.
It is raised for more than twice as long as ordinary farmed eel, resulting in a distinctive sweetness and aroma. Because production is limited, this premium eel is available at only a small number of restaurants in Japan.
For eel enthusiasts, trying this specialty can be an especially memorable part of a visit to Narita.
Narita’s eel cuisine is deeply connected with the city’s history as a pilgrimage destination. A visit to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple can easily be combined with a meal along Naritasan Omotesando.
Walking through the historic streets, seeing traditional shops, smelling eel being grilled over charcoal, and then sitting down to enjoy a freshly prepared eel bowl creates a distinctly local travel experience.
Narita’s eel tradition is not simply a regional specialty. It reflects the development of pilgrimage culture, Edo popular culture, local fishing resources, and generations of culinary craftsmanship.
For international visitors, eel cuisine also provides an opportunity to experience an important aspect of traditional Japanese dining. The combination of tender eel, savory-sweet sauce, steamed rice, and carefully prepared accompaniments offers a taste that is both familiar and uniquely associated with Narita.
Narita’s eel cuisine is a local food tradition with centuries of cultural connections. From the Edo-period pilgrimage boom to the historic restaurants lining Naritasan Omotesando today, eel has remained closely associated with the city.
Visiting an established eel restaurant after exploring Naritasan Shinshoji Temple allows travelers to enjoy not only a delicious meal but also the atmosphere of a historic Japanese pilgrimage town.
When visiting Narita, be sure to look beyond its famous temple and airport and discover its identity as a “town of eel.” The aroma of freshly grilled eel, the skills of experienced chefs, and the traditional streets of Narita can make this local culinary experience one of the highlights of your trip.