Naritasan Shinshoji (成田山新勝寺) is a major draw for hatsumode, the first temple or shrine visit of the year. The Narita City Tourist Association puts the crowd at about 3 million people over January 1–3.
It's also close to Narita Airport. The train from Airport Terminal 2 Station to Narita takes about 8 minutes, and the temple is a 10-minute walk from the station, so it's about 20 minutes from the airport station to the temple, plus the wait for a train.
As of November 11, 2026, the temple hasn't posted its 2027 hours or crowd forecast, and the 2027 road closures aren't out yet either. Its New Year page still says it's being prepared.
This guide draws on JR East's announced New Year train plan and on last year's arrangements (2025–26).
Last New Year, the temple grounds stayed open around the clock. The temple's two predicted crowd peaks were midnight on New Year's Eve, as December 31 turned into January 1, and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on January 1–3.
If you're also visiting shrines in Tokyo, see Hatsumode in Tokyo 2027: Which Shrine, When to Go & What to Wear for the New Year Crowds.
Last New Year at a glance (2025–26)
Item | Last New Year |
|---|---|
Temple grounds | Open around the clock over New Year |
New Year's first fire ritual (Gancho Ogoma-ku, 元朝大護摩供) | Midnight on New Year's Eve (start of January 1) |
Goma fire rituals (御護摩) begin | Midnight at the start of January 1; 6 a. |
Entry restrictions | Possible on December 31 and January 1–3 |
New Year visiting season | Through January 28 (Hatsufudo, 初不動, the year's first Fudo day) |
Each hall's opening hours followed the goma schedule at the Great Main Hall (Daihondo, 大本堂). Normally you just sign up at the goma reception desk on the day. The ritual takes about 30 minutes, and offerings start at 5,000 yen.
The New Year goshuin (御朱印), a temple seal, didn't start at midnight last year. It began at 6 a.m. on January 1 at a temporary booth in the plaza west of the Great Main Hall, while supplies lasted.
If 2027 follows the same plan, a midnight visit means waiting until 6 a.m. for the seal.
New Year good-luck charms were available from December 28.
Crowd peaks: which day and time to go
If the midnight ritual is the main reason you're going, expect to be there for one of last year's two predicted peaks. If it isn't, skip New Year's Eve midnight and the 11 a.m.–1 p.m. window on January 1–3.
In both of the last two New Years, the temple warned it might limit entry on December 31 and January 1–3. Last year it also asked people to spread their visits across January, with the New Year season running through January 28 (Hatsufudo).
That makes January 4 or later a reasonable plan B, especially if you're fitting the temple in around a flight.
Getting there on New Year's Eve
JR East announced its 2026–27 New Year trains on October 22. Keisei, the other railway to Narita, hasn't announced its plan yet; last year's came out on November 28.
To be there at midnight, take a regular evening train. Getting back is harder: JR's extra trains leave Narita around 2:10 and 3:50 a.m. and terminate at Chiba. Last year Keisei ran a 3 a.m. train straight to Keisei Ueno, but its 2027 plan isn't out.
Railway | Getting there | Getting back |
|---|---|---|
JR (2026–27, announced) | Before midnight: regular trains (holiday timetable on Dec 31). | Extra trains from Narita at about 2:10 and 3:50 a. |
Keisei (last year) | Naritasan Kaiun-go (成田山開運号): Keisei Ueno 10:40 p. | Naritasan Kaiun-go: Keisei Narita 3:00 a. |
JR doesn't run a direct overnight train from Tokyo to Narita. Its overnight Chuo-Sobu locals (Mitaka to Chiba) are reported to run from about 12:10 to 4:40 a.m., every 10 to 125 minutes.
Only two extra trains continue from Chiba to Narita, so you could face a long wait there.
JR East says the exact connections will show up in its route search (Digital JR Timetable and the JR East app) from December 7. If you're reading this before then, check again closer to the date.
If you'd rather sleep than ride trains at 3 a.m., stay in Narita on the night of December 31. Pick a hotel near JR or Keisei Narita Station rather than by the airport, since no train runs to the airport after midnight.
Check in during the evening and leave your bags before walking to the temple; if you won't reach the hotel until after midnight, confirm late check-in before you book.
Narita hotels for the night of December 31: availability and rates
Coming from Tokyo: Keisei or JR
Keisei Narita Station and JR Narita Station are both a 10-minute walk from the temple (1 Narita, Narita City, Chiba). The temple's access page gives about 65 minutes from Keisei Ueno on a Keisei limited express and about 80 minutes from JR Ueno on the Joban Line via Abiko.
From Tokyo Station, it's about 75 minutes on the JR Sobu Line Rapid service.
Keisei Ueno to Keisei Narita costs 860 yen (859 yen with an IC card). JR Ueno to Narita costs 1,230 yen after JR's March 2026 fare change, so from Ueno, Keisei is cheaper and faster.
Don't board the Skyliner. It runs on the Narita Sky Access Line straight to the airport and never passes through Keisei Narita. From Keisei Ueno or Nippori, take a Keisei Main Line train such as a limited express.
Last year Keisei also ran the Naritasan Kaiun-go on 12 days in January (January 1–4, the January weekends, and Coming of Age Day), leaving Keisei Ueno at 9:07 a.m. and reaching Keisei Narita at 10:04 a.m.
All seats were reserved, with a 1,000-yen limited express charge on top of the fare. Booking opened one month before the travel date.
JR also runs reserved-seat New Year express services to Narita from Maebashi, Utsunomiya, Ome, Takao, and Fuchuhommachi on January 9, 10, 11, 16, and 17, 2027, with dates varying by train.
If you're driving, roads around both Narita stations and the temple approach, Omotesando (表参道, not the one in Tokyo), were restricted in stages last year between 9 p.m. on December 31 and January 31. The city's coin parking lots along Omotesando were inside the closed area and couldn't be used.
The 2027 closure and parking maps should appear on the Narita City Tourist Association site; last year's went up in early December.
A stop from Narita Airport
Airport Terminal 2 Station to Keisei Narita or JR Narita takes about 8 minutes on either line. On Keisei, the fare from Airport Terminal 2 or Narita Airport Station to Keisei Narita is 280 yen (272 yen with an IC card).
The Skyliner and Access Express trains from the airport use the Sky Access Line and skip Keisei Narita, so take a Keisei Main Line train (limited express, rapid, or local).
Only some Narita Express trains stop at Narita Station, so check the timetable for your train. Last year extra N'EX trains also stopped there on January 1–4; the 2027 plan isn't out yet.
Stepping out of the airport between flights means going through immigration and customs, so you need to be able to enter Japan.
Getting back to the airport after the midnight ritual is the catch. JR's after-midnight trains run only between Chiba and Narita, and Keisei's overnight locals last year ran between Keisei Ueno and Keisei Narita.
Neither goes on to the airport, so plan on a night in Narita or the first train of the morning.
Leave big bags at a baggage storage counter. All are landside (before security), and these are two options:
- Terminal 2 Main Building, 3F (Narita International Airport Promotion Association): 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Terminal 1 North Wing, 1F (JAL ABC): 6:30 a.m. until 1 hour after the last international arrival
The Terminal 2 Main Building 3F counter closes at 10 p.m., so if you leave a bag there on December 31 and go to the midnight ritual, you won't get it back until 6:30 a.m. on January 1.
Some other counters, including two on the Terminal 2 Main Building 1F, stay open until 1 hour after the last international arrival. None of them list New Year hours, so check with each one.
For getting between the airport and central Tokyo, see Narita & Haneda to Tokyo: The Cheapest and Fastest Ways In (2026).
Still unannounced for 2027
- Naritasan's New Year page (hours, goma times, crowd forecast): still being prepared as of November 11
- Keisei's New Year timetable: announced November 28 last year
- JR's after-midnight connections in route search: from December 7
- Narita Express extra stops at Narita Station (last year: January 1–4): not announced yet
- Road closure and parking maps: posted in early December last year
- New Year goshuin details: announced December 13 last year
- New Year charms: announced December 19 last year
We'll update this page as each one comes out.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
