5 minutes from Narita station by foot. Once you step into an alley that's along the path to a shrine, a space swirling with a retro atmosphere reveals itself to you. This is a report on this recently opened tourist spot, which only those in the know will know about.
Directly in front of Narita station, there is a path that leads to Narita-san Shinsho-ji temple, which is lined with all sorts of shops.
Shinsho-ji temple is a renowned tourist attraction, and tourists from both Japan and abroad flock to see the temple and the path leading to it. The area is especially lively on weekends and holidays.
On the other hand, there are rows of empty houses just a stone's throw away from the liveliness of the path leading to Shinsho-ji temple. This is another side of Narita, where weeds and trees, with nobody to keep them in check, grow thickly around empty houses.
But in this neighborhood full of empty houses, there is an area which was rebuilt, remodeled and transformed into a fashionable, retro space, so I went there to see what it was all about.
The new "Romance Village Narita", nostalgic for the past
That fashionable space is "Romance Village Narita".
The whole area was bought by a company which ran share houses and cafes in Narita City. It was conceptualized and remodeled to be a place where people would gather, and it has become exactly that, an area suffused with the aura of romance.
As befitting the "village" in its name, there are buildings such as share houses and restaurants in Romance Village Narita, which has become a complex of sorts in its own right.
It's located around 5 minutes away from Narita station by foot.
Romance Village Narita is located in a good area, but it cannot be seen at all from the path leading to Shinsho-ji temple. Because of this, it's difficult to find your way to Romance Village Narita if you don't already know where it is, or if you don't come across the signs on the path leading to the temple.
Most of the construction work on Romance Village Narita was completed by 2022, and it began life as a place where you could rent rooms in share houses.
As of now, June 2022, other rental spaces, restaurants, and confectioneries have sprung up in the area (details will follow).
Plenty of tasteful decorations
First, I'm going to show a few nostalgic decorations that can be found in the village.
There are also many other tasteful signs and facilities in the village, and you can have fun wandering around trying to spot them.
Fashionable shops lining the streets
There are several shops that have opened their doors in Romance Village Narita, and every one of these shops are in harmony with the village's worldview, making for welcoming atmospheres.
Traditional Folkhouse Dining Waka
A restaurant located in an alley within Romance Village Narita, which is itself tucked away in an alley.
Both table seats and Japanese-style tatami seating are available, and you can enjoy healthy meals while soaking in the retro atmosphere.
They also offer bento takeouts.
Atelier Gallery EGOISTA
This is an atelier and gallery under the supervision of the artist Narita Aki.
It holds exhibitions of original works by many different artists and authors, albeit on an irregular schedule.
Authentic Aizome Workshop Kikuya
Scheduled to open soon, this is a workshop where you can experience aizome for yourself.
The picture shows the process of preparing aizome dye by mixing the ingredients and allowing it to ferment.
It seems that this workshop provides an authentic experience with aizome, so both Japanese and foreign tourists should find this an enjoyable place to visit.
Narita Baked Confectionery Workshop Bomboniera Piu+
Located further within the alleys of Romance Village Narita is a store selling baked confectioneries, which is also the sister store of the popular Italian restaurant trattoria L'akio.
You can dine-in at this store, so you can also experience it as a cafe.
Events at "Rental Space Roman-kan" on weekends and holidays
"Rental Space Roman-kan" boasts the largest area of all buildings in Romance Village, and there is a wood deck and a pond right in front of it.
It can be used as a rental space, and many different kinds of events are held here, usually on weekends.
When I was visiting, an adoption drive for rescued cats, called "Neko Neko Ichi", was being held.
I got to see cute kitties sleeping in their cages.
There was also a place selling cat-related merchandise as well as locally-grown vegetables.
The company in charge of running Romance Village also hold an event called "Narita Romance Ichi" on a regular basis.
All kinds of shops, from sweets shops and grocery stores to bakeries, sell their goods at this event, and even though Romance Village is in a secluded spot, this event is always lively.
Some details about the usage of "Rental Space Roman-kan"
It is a rental space, so on days where there aren't any events such as the ones I wrote about above, you can rent it out for your own use.
The indoors space comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, a refrigerator, tables and chairs, and a microwave oven, among other things.
It seems like it would be suitable for events like cooking parties or girls' parties.
There is also a cooking area outside.
"Rental Space Roman-kan" offers authentic BBQ sets for rent, so as long as you bring your own food, you can enjoy a BBQ experience in the spacious outdoor area.
Romance Village Narita - becoming a more and more lively and exciting spot from now on
The path leading to Shinsho-ji temple is an interesting place to visit, but Romance Village, a new spot in Narita, has a completely different ambiance to it, and nostalgia can be found everywhere within its bounds.
Even though you can already do and experience a lot of things there, Romance Village is actually still in the development stage.
Considering that in the future, there will be more new stores setting up shop and more new areas opening, it seems likely that Romance Village will grow into an even more lively and exciting place than it is now.
It is easy and convenient to drop by Romance Village, whether you're on a date or with your children, and you can have a lot of fun just wandering around the place. So if you happen to come across a sign for Romance Village along the path to Shinsho-ji, why don't you try following it to where it leads?
Romance Village Narita
