Chefs grill eel over charcoal at Surugaya, a long-established restaurant in Narita — August 8. (©Sankei by Takayuki Suzuki)
Narita City in Chiba Prefecture, home to Narita International Airport, is hosting the Narita Eel Festival until August 28. The festival takes place along the approach to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. A total of 118 shops are participating to celebrate the city's beloved freshwater eel dishes, with about 50 offering special eel-themed menu items.
The festival isn't limited to specialty eel restaurants. Sushi shops, tempura restaurants, sake breweries, and even French restaurants are joining in. Each year, more businesses take part, adding momentum to the festival's slogan— a nod to Narita's famous eel cuisine and the Japanese phrase unagi-nobori ("eel rising"). This expression is an idiom for skyrocketing success, inspired by the way live eels wriggle swiftly upward in water.
The festival was first held in 2005 to boost visitor numbers during the hot late-July to August period, when tourism typically slows. The 2025 festival marks its 21st edition.
Famous Eel Restaurants
One of the city's best-known participants is Surugaya, an Edo-period eel restaurant located near the temple's main gate. Visitors can watch craftsmen prepare and grill the eel over charcoal right from the street. The rich aroma draws in temple-goers.
Their Special Premium Eel Bento (tokusen unaju), made with the "Mirai Unagi" brand from Yamanashi and Shizuoka, costs ¥6,600 JPY (about $45 USD, tax included). Each order is steamed and grilled to order, giving it a fragrant, tender finish. Proprietress Yoshimi Kinoshita says, "Many customers tell us they came especially for the Eel Festival."
Sake Brewery Offerings
The lineup goes beyond restaurants. On the temple approach, the Chomeisen sake brewery's shop offers a take-out Mini Eel Bowl in a deep, palm-sized cup for ¥1,100 (about $7.50). "We serve it in a deep cup so it's easy to eat while strolling," says vice president Chikako Takizawa. She adds that its affordability appeals to younger customers.
At the French restaurant Le Temps d'or, diners can try Grilled Aichi Eel with Madeira Sauce and Sichuan Pepper Aroma (¥4,800, about $33, for the large dinner portion). Owner-chef Tomoyuki Kato created the dish shortly after opening the restaurant 20 years ago, inspired by Narita's reputation as an eel town. The rich, classic French sauce pairs surprisingly well with eel. Still, he notes, "Not many people think of eel when they think of French food."
During the Narita Gion Festival in July, the restaurant's Eel Panini sold briskly as street food. "Once people try it, they realize how delicious it is," he says.
Stamp Rally
The festival also features a stamp rally. Visitors who eat or shop at participating stores can collect stamps and enter a prize draw for Narita-themed items, such as travel vouchers. Three stamps are needed to enter, with no more than two from any single store. This encourages visitors to explore multiple locations.
"The festival benefits the whole city," says Kosumi Ito, vice-chair of the Narita City Tourism Association. "People who come for eel often shop elsewhere to complete their stamp cards. Compared to when we started 21 years ago, the temple approach is far livelier now. Many visitors even return just for the stamp rally."
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
