Snacking my way through Narita Omotesando

I ended up at Narita Omotesando because I had an 8 hour layover and with all the travel time, it didnt make sense to go into Tokyo, spend 2 hours and then travel back to Narita again. So i ended up going to Narita, which was about a 10 min train ride from Narita airport. I didn't know what to expect, but i ended up really enjoying my short escape to Narita.

The Narita Omotesando just waking up on an early Saturday

Narita Omotesando was the main approach up to the main Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, which was a major pilgrimage destination during the Edo period. The buildings are reminiscent of those times, with hand-painted signs, noren curtains at shopfronts and traditional shops and eateries lining the streets. During the Edo period, it was like a vibrant marketplace for pilgrims and travelers.

My first stop for the day was to caffeinate after a 7 hour red eye flight. I stopped by Routemap Coffee Roasters, which was a very short walk from Narita Station and tucked away on a quieter street behind the lively Narita Omotesando. It is a relatively new cafe, opening in 2024. The barista was really friendly and humble about their 5 star rating on google reviews and told me that they had just finished crowdfunding to upgrade their store, so in the next visit, their shop will look different. To be honest, I didn't mind the vibe at all. It is rustic and charming in its own way and the coffee was good. Something I needed to boost my morning and ready myself for what Narita Omotesando had to offer.

Senbeis are something I find very difficult to resist, more so if they are grilled fresh in front of you and still warm. There are many shops on Omotesando that grill that own rice crackers or senbeis. The first I tried was Sakuraya Honten Senbei which was closer to the station end of Omotesando. It has 80 years of history and are known for their charcoal grilled soy sauce senbei, pictured above with the sauces still dripping. There was no one manning the shop but once I walked in, an elderly lady who was grilling senbeis came to assist and when I decided on my senbei, she asked if I wanted a fresh, warm one. And of course, I cannot resist that. So she goes to the back where the other lady is grilling senbeis and picks one off the grill and dips it into their soy sauce. It came hot, with soy sauce still dripping, the perfect way to eat a senbei. I liked the crunch of the senbei, but personally thought the sauce was a little on the saltier side. However, still a delicious morsel.

Hayashida Senbei Rice Cracker Shop was where I stopped next, close to the Naritasan approach. This rice cracker shop has been around since 1912 and is an iconic local staple. Their kushisen (skewered) rice crackers come in 3 different flavours but i went with the classic soy sauce version. Again, I was offered a warm cracker in a bag or a cooled version on a stick and I went for the warm cracker. I really enjoyed the Hayashida Senbei. I thought it to be better balanced between the soy sauce and the beautifully crispy rice cracker. As I write this, I can feel myself salivating. It was that good.

Next on the list is Yamanoakari. Yamanoakari is a little stylish tea and confectionery shop that opened in 2023. I had the Acela iced tea which was refreshing after the many kms that I clocked within the temple grounds. Their raisin and rum butter sand was a delightful little treat with a crunchy sable biscuit filled with run soaked raisins. The shop front was really cute as well, with benches that face out to the road. It was a perfect way to take a break and people watch. I heard many people commenting that their matcha latte was really delicious as well.

As you walk through the town, you'd see and smell these absolutely savoury eels being grilled on charcoal as well as the workers filleting eels. Narita is famous for Unagi and I can imagine it to be hard to resist as your walk down the streets and all you can smell is this savoury umami charcoal grilled smell of Unagi being grilled fresh. There are a couple of famous restaurants, often with either a long queue from when it opens at 10 am or skilled workers showcasing their craft right outside the shop. Trust me, they are really hard to miss.

As I was walking back to the train station, I saw that many locals were lining up at this shop. So of course I couldn't not try it, right? This was Kintoki no Amataro which serves obanyaki filled with either azuki red bean or sweet white bean paste. This is a popular and nostalgic obanyaki shop and most of the people lining up were locals. Their obanyaki was perfectly grilled on all sides and filled with a sweet and warm white bean paste. The filling was definitely generous, for 180 JPY.

And just randomly, there was a man and his monkey performing on the streets. I am generally not a fan of animals and performances, but hey, who is to judge here. The locals enjoyed themselves.

Overall

Narita Omotesando is just the right size, In just 800 m, you have every type of shop you'd need as a visitor: snacks, pottery, chopsticks, pickles, souvenirs, pickles, miso. This is before you even set foot in to the grounds of Naritsan Shinshoji Temple, which I will share more about in a separate post. Narita for me was like a reminder of how Japan was like many years ago, before the throngs of crowds invaded the likes of Takayama, Kamikochi and Nara. It is peaceful, retains its charms with plenty of locals taking strolls along the streets and relatively few tourists. I thought it was a little treasure trove for those who appreciate traditional Japanese snacks with authentic flavours - I found many peanut, chestnut, white bean, red bean, sesame and unagi types of snacks.

Would We Recommend?

Definitely yes! Especially if you have an extended layover in Narita and you want to get out and about. It is only one stop away from Narita airport and can be accessed through both the Keisei and JR lines for less than 300 JPY and only takes about 10 mins by train. I thought Narita was the perfect size to do everything in about 4-5 hours (including the temple grounds), which is perfect for a layover.