What to know
Katori Jingu (香取神宮) is a revered Shinto shrine located just outside Sawara, northeast of Narita. It serves as the head shrine for hundreds of Katori shrines throughout Japan. Dedicated to Futsunushi no Mikoto, the deity who protects warriors, it has been a significant and popular shrine since ancient times.
The shrine grounds feature a stone lantern-lined approach that begins after passing a few shops and restaurants near the parking lot. The oldest standing structures are the black-painted main hall and the vermilion gate, both dating back to 1700.
Katori Shrine lies about 20 kilometers northeast of Narita Airport, not far from Sawara. It can be reached by a 15-minute bus ride (300 yen one way; every 1–2 hours on weekdays, 1–2 buses per hour on weekends) or a 10-minute taxi ride (about 2000 yen one way) from Sawara Station. Sawara Station is accessible from Narita Station via the JR Narita Line (30 minutes, 530 yen one way, 1–2 trains per hour).
Alternatively, by car, the shrine is about 25 minutes from Narita Airport using the expressway (860 yen toll one way, exit at Sawara-Katori IC) or about 45 minutes via toll-free roads.
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- Always open
- Closed
- No closing days
- Admission
- Free
- English name
- Original name
- Katori Shrine
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