5 Reasons To Join The Exciting Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour

The "Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour" - What Does It Offer?

The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program is ideal for travelers staying in the vicinity of Narita Airport, and also for those who'd like to spend their flight waiting time in a fun and efficient manner.

This program offers various guided tours that allow participants to enjoy souvenir shopping, cuisine, traditional culture, and crafts in the Narita area.

In today's article, we'd like to introduce the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour, which will take you on a sightseeing bus to visit famous local sightseeing spots.

The "Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour" has two special courses: every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday there's the Sawara Course, and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there's the Shibayama Course.

Buses leave Narita Airport Terminal 2 bus stop at 9:40 AM, Narita Airport Terminal 1 bus stop at 9:50 AM, and also from the bus stop in front of JR Narita Station at 10:10 AM.

Buses arrive back at Terminal 2 bus stop at 15:30, at Terminal 1 bus stop at 15:40, and back at JR Narita Station at 16:00.

Sawara Course Details

Experience life during the Edo period at Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-Mura Museum → Have lunch at Hakko-no-Sato Kozaki Roadside Station → Walk along the historic streets of Sawara, and at Suigo Sawara Dashi Kaikan look at colorful dashi (floats) that appear during the Sawara Grand Festival, a UNESCO cultural heritage.

Shibayama Course Details

Start at Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-Mura Museum → Have lunch at Ajisai-kan Roadside Station in Tako-machi, which is famous for its delicious rice → Visit Chiba prefecture's famous temple, Shibayama Nioson Temple, and Haniwa Museum.

For further details on the Sawara Course and the Shibayama Course, please click here. In conjunction with this, for those interested in knowing about the highlights of the tour, please refer to the full report in MATCHA's following article: Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour - Have Fun Exploring Japanese Culture!.

In today's article we'll suggest five good reasons for joining the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour.

Reason ①
Experience Chiba Prefecture's Deep History and Culture!

When someone mentions Narita City, the only place that comes to mind might be Narita Airport, but actually this area is filled with history and culture dating back to ancient times.

For example, Shibayama Nioson Temple, founded in 781 AD, is known for its blessings of warding off fires and theft. From ancient times this temple was cherished by the local people.

Haniwa (*1) that were excavated in Chiba prefecture are on display at Haniwa Museum, located on the temple grounds. The haniwa were made by people living in the area during the fifth to sixth century AD.

*1 Haniwa are clay pottery figures made for ritual use and buried with the dead during Japan's ancient Kofun period (about 250-538 AD). The clay figures came in many forms including humans and various animals (horses, chickens, birds, etc.).

Also, Sawara (part of the Sawara Course) flourished as a town of merchants during the Edo period, and even today its traditional streetscapes remain.

Dashi (*2) used in the Sawara Grand Festival, an event locals are proud of and recognized as a UNESCO cultural heritage, are displayed at Suigo Sawara Dashi Kaikan. Here, as you imagine the drama and excitement of the festival, you can come into contact with a culture that's been handed down from the Edo period.

During the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour, the guide will explain everything in detail for all participants, so you can learn about Japanese culture and history.

*2 Dashi are floats that are pulled along the streets during festivals. Many are colorful and elegantly decorated, and often have people sitting on top. Dashi differ from mikoshi, portable shrines, which are carried on people's shoulders during festivals.

Reason ②
Taste Chiba Prefecture's Delicious Cuisine!

If you join this bus tour, you can sample the delicious Japanese cuisine that the Narita area boasts.

For example, in Kozaki-machi, a town known for its excellent fermented foods, you can try your hand at making miso-tama (balls of miso paste) using their famous miso which is known as a local specialty food. You can also enjoy a lunch of onigiri and tsukemono (Japanese pickles).

Also, on the Shibayama Course, you can enjoy a hands-on experience making and then eating onigiri, using rice grown in Tako-machi.

Kozaki-machi's miso and Tako-machi's rice, are both local specialties proudly grown in Chiba Prefecture.

At Hakko-no-Sato Kozaki Roadside and Ajisai-kan Roadside Station, good places for lunch, you can also purchase tasty food products and sweets for a souvenir.

Reason ③
Try on Traditional Attire at Boso-no-Mura Museum!

Now that you've come all the way to Japan, how about trying on some traditional Japanese clothing? If you join the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour, you can wear a comfortable happi coat (*3) decorated with lively Japanese patterns, for the duration of the trip!

At Boso-no-Mura, a museum where they've recreated an Edo period town, get a commemorative picture of yourself taken while decked out in traditional clothing, with a Japanese-style town standing in the background.

The happi coat comes in various colors and patterns. Put on the one you like best, and get lots of pictures taken to remember your experience by!

*3 A happi coat is a traditional piece of clothing (coat) that's often worn during festivals.

Reason ④
Spend Your Waiting Time Having Fun!

At the airport, if the waiting time until your connecting flight arrives is longer than six hours, it can be awfully boring, can't it? At times like this the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour can be a real friend!

Join one of their tours and use your waiting time enjoying local sightseeing and learning about Japanese culture, with no worries about the language barrier or how to use the bus system.

If you've come as far as Narita, an area proud of its tasteful and charming towns and abundant culture, then you definitely want to go outside the airport and do some exploring, don't you!

Don't miss your chance to join this tour, one that will take you to all the famous spots near Narita by sightseeing bus (about six hours in total)!

Reason ⑤
Visit Famous Spots Economically and in Comfort by Bus!

For those thinking of visiting Chiba Prefecture's famous areas (Sawara, Tako-machi, and Shibayama) privately on public transit, on top of the expensive cost there's also the worry that one won't make it back in time for their connecting flight.

But this tour costs just 3,500 yen per person. This is a real bargain because it includes tour guide services, all admission fees, and even lunch!

If you'd like to enjoy all of the highlights near Narita Airport in an economical manner, we highly recommend the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour!

Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour -
Enjoy Japanese Culture and Tasty Cuisine in Comfort!

Joining the tour is simple! Prior reservations are not required. Before the tour departs, simply go to the counter at Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program at Narita Airport's International Arrival Lobby, and make your tour arrangements.

Another option is to follow the information and instructions on the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour Official Homepage, and then if you go directly to the bus stop you can join the tour on the same day.

Both the Sawara Course and Shibayama Course are filled with activities and opportunities that allow participants to fully experience Japanese culture and customs.

Focusing on the Narita area, how about exploring the highlights in Chiba Prefecture, while enjoying a local guide's commentary on the bus?

For details on the Welcome Narita Select Bus Tour, please click here.

For more on the Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program, please click here.

Written by Ramona Taranu
Supported by Narita Airport