When you say Narita, many people probably think of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, but it is not the only thing to see. In Narita, there are many people who provide hospitality to visitors, and I would like you to know about them. Here, we will introduce them to you as “People of Narita”!
Our guest this time is Mr. Yoshikazu Morooka, Chairman of Narita City Tourism Association. Mr. Morooka, who was born and raised in Narita and has been watching Narita all his life, spoke in detail about everything from his favorite areas around the airport to his thoughts on the future of Narita.
ーPlease tell us what kind of activities your tourism association is involved in.ー
To put it bluntly, the Tourism Association would like many visitors to come to Narita.
We are also engaged in PR activities, such as environmental improvements, events, and various other information to enhance the enjoyment of visitors to Narita.
ーPlease tell us about your career to date.ー
I was born in Narita, grew up in Narita, and still work in Narita all the time.
In the process, I have been involved in various activities such as the Gion Festival, the Drum Festival, and community development through the activities of the Junior Chamber and the Young Men's Club of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
ーDo you have a personal favorite spot in the area around Narita Airport?ー
In addition to Naritasan Omotesando, I quite like the area around the airport, where you can see airplanes and then the countryside. So, Toyosumi district, Kuzumi district, Nakago district and Shimousa district, etc. I personally like the combination of the original Japanese landscape and the international airport, with airplanes flying over the rice paddies and other scenery.
ーHow would you like to take action yourself for the future of Narita?ー
Personally speaking, I hope to be involved in helping each Narita resident form a good community.
I think there are many local people who work at Narita Airport, but there are also many people who live here in order to work at Narita Airport. Whether they are Japanese or foreigners, I would like them to think that Narita is a nice town and that the people who live in Narita are nice people. I would like to build a community among these people, or rather, I would like to build a good relationship with them.
ーHow would you like visitors to enjoy the Narita area?ー
Naritasan Omotesando has many stores with an international atmosphere, so I hope that visitors will enjoy the fusion of Japanese culture and the international atmosphere. It is interesting to have an international airport, which is quite rare in Japan, and yet have the old townscape of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.
Also, Omotesando is a nice place, but if you go to Narita Airport, you can see many different airplanes from various countries and there are many spots where you can get a good view of takeoffs and landings as well as the airport itself. Narita is the best place in Japan to see a variety of airlines, and because it is an inland airport, it is located in a place where it is easier to see them. I think this is the only airport of its kind in Japan.
