TOUR 3

Enjoy Japan’s Countryside in Tako Town

  • Food
  • Outdoor
  • History & Culture
Walk or cycle through idyllic rice fields to a quiet out-of-the-way temple, a former school for monks. Afterwards enjoy a riverside lunch made with locally-grown rice. This tour can be customized to fit your interests and budget.

Time Required: 3 hours

Minimum Budget: 600 yen

Meeting Time: 9:00 (Japan Time）

Guide Language: English

Tour Highlights:

  • Pastoral Landscape
  • Nichihon-ji Temple

Optional Activities:

  • Electric Bicycle Rental
  • Shiraishi Confectionary
  • Hydrangea Park

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Tour Highlights

  • Pastoral Landscape

    Pastoral Landscape

    Surrounded by beautiful rice paddies, Tako Town is famous for its delicious rice, which can be enjoyed with bento boxes on the banks of the Kuriyama River or in a dining area on the second floor of Roadside Station Tako Ajisai-kan. Relax on a short river boat ride (available weekends), or rent an electric bicycle to explore further afield.

  • Nichihon-ji Temple

    Nichihon-ji Temple

    Nichihon-ji Temple is an important temple of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism and is well-known as being home to the Nakamura Danrin, a school for monks. Nichihon-ji is also known as the Ajisai (hydrangea) Temple: in June its wooded grounds come alive with 8,000 colorful hydrangea blooms.

Optional Activities

  • dummy bg Electric Bicycle Renta

    Electric Bicycle Rental

    Power-assisted bicycles are available for rent at Roadside Station Tako Ajisai-kan, and are a fun way to tour the Tako countryside. Ride along the narrow paths between rice paddies, and then up the hill (made easy with the bicycle’s electric oomph) to Nichihon-ji Temple. Alternatively, ride along the Kuriyama River, visiting the Hydrangea Park if you wish. Rental cost for the day is 500 yen. (Riders must be 12 or older. Passport or other photo ID required for rental. Limited number of bicycles available.)

  • dummy bg Shiraishi Confectionary

    Shiraishi Confectionary

    This small shop sells wagashi (Japanese sweets) made by hand using carefully selected ingredients, including fruits, vegetables and rice grown locally in Tako. From mitarashi dango to sakura mochi, and even Japanese shaved ice in summer, there’s sure to be something delicious for a range of palates.

  • dummy bg Hydrangea Park

    Hydrangea Park

    Known as ajisai in Japanese, hydrangeas are symbolic of early summer in Japan and their blooms are loved and photographed nearly as much as sakura in the spring and fall foliage in the autumn. Tako’s Hydrangea Park spans both banks of the Kuriyama River and is a lovely place to relax. In spring the park is blanketed with yellow mustard flowers, and in fall colorful cosmos stand out against the blue river.

Seasonal Events

Hydrangea Festival

Hydrangea Festival

Mid-June

Tako’s Ajisai Matsuri (Hydrangea Festival) is held during Japan’s rainy season in June when the 10,000 hydrangea flowers growing along the banks of the Kuriyama River bloom in gorgeous blues, purples, pinks, and whites. The festival opens with a ritual rice offering in which townspeople, dressed up as lords, ladies, and samurai, take to the stage for this annual ceremony.

The celebrations include traditional folk performances, concerts, and river cruises on traditional sappa boats.

Gion Festival of Tako

Gion Festival of Tako

July 25 – 26

This traditional summer festival dates back to the Edo period. Festival floats from each neighborhood, including one built in 1839, are paraded around town to the sounds of lively music from taiko drums and flutes. On the 26th there is also a special performance called the Shiika Dance that takes place in front of Yasaka Shrine. Wearing animal masks, the ten dancers pray for a good harvest, health, and divine protection for the town. The highlight of this dance is when a huge pole is erected with thick ropes, and the dancer wearing the monkey mask performs gymnastics at the top, sure to take your breath away.

Related Information

Terms and Conditions

Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program Terms and Conditions
Revised June 2018

  1. This program is for those who have spare time during a layover at Narita Airport or when staying at a hotel in the Narita area.
  2. Tour participants must be eligible to enter Japan. You will need to go through Immigration and Customs in order to join a tour, and we accept no liability for issues that arise therein.
  3. Please ensure you have sufficient time to participate. Tour participants are solely responsible for their schedule and being on time for their flight. All listed times are approximate, and unforeseen delays can occur due to traffic conditions, weather, unexpected problems or other causes. If you have a flight departing on the day of your tour, please ensure that you return to Narita Airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure time.
  4. All tours are intended to guide non-Japanese travelers who are changing planes at Narita Airport (either domestic or international flights) or who are staying in the Narita area.
  5. Guides are volunteers. They may not necessarily have expert knowledge on the tourist spots you are visiting.
  6. Tours are free of charge; however, participants are responsible for all personal expenses, including transportation costs and entrance fees, during the tour. Tipping the tour guides is not necessary.
  7. Please have Japanese yen with you to cover any costs during the tour.
  8. Due to the limited number of volunteer guides available, there is no guarantee that a Volunteer Guided Tour can be provided to all participants desiring one. In other cases, we may ask that you join a tour with other participants.
  9. Booking a tour does not absolutely guarantee that the requested tour can be given. Unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to bad weather, may require us to cancel the tour or ask that you participate in a different tour.
  10. All the Volunteer Guided Tours are walking tours. Please let us know in advance if you are pregnant or not feeling well. Participation in the tour should be decided at your own responsibility. Should you feel unwell in any way during the tour, please inform the tour guide immediately.
  11. Participation in a Volunteer Guided Tour is limited to once per day.
  12. Please follow the instructions of the guide during the tour.
  13. If you become separated from the guide during the tour, please check the information map and return to the airport reception desk by the scheduled time. Those who have means to contact the reception desk should let them know as soon as possible.
  14. Volunteer guides will accompany you until you are back at the airport, arriving no later than 2pm regardless of tour start time. For participants on Tour 1 (“Get a Full Japanese Cultural Experience at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple”), if your flight leaves after 5pm or does not leave that day, and you wish to have more time in Narita, you may optionally choose to continue exploring on your own past 2pm. If you choose to do so, be confident you can get back to the airport without a guide. Under no circumstances will Narita International Airport Corporation or Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program, including Volunteer Guides, be responsible for missed flights or accidents occurring either during or after a Volunteer Guided Tour.
  15. If you have large suitcases or other bulky luggage, please store them in one of Narita Airport’s coin-operated lockers or at a luggage storage counter at your expense.
  16. Please note that we may take photos during the tour for use in promotional material or posting to our Facebook page or other social media. If you do not wish to appear in any photos, please let us know before leaving on your tour.
  17. You are free to do shopping during guided tours. However, please be mindful of the restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) of over 100 ml in carry-on luggage, and restrictions on bringing agricultural produce into another country. Be sure to keep these things in mind when making purchases, as you are responsible for all purchased items. Weight limits for items that can be carried with you onto the aircraft may differ from airline to airline. An excess baggage fee may be levied if the weight limit is exceeded, so make sure to check with your airline for details.
  18. Narita International Airport Corporation and Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program shall not be responsible or liable for any misunderstandings, accidents, damages, bodily harm or costs incurred for any reason, directly or indirectly, while participating on a Volunteer Guided Tour or Self-Guided Tour with this program, regardless of whether the rules outlined in these Terms and Conditions are followed.