Sacred Places, Pilgrimage, and Tourism - Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior - page 144

(3) Diversifi cation of Business
The number of inns in Monzenmachi declined as more worshipers visited on
day trips, and the number of ko decreased as worshipers gained the ability to
worship on an individual basis. In turn, this accelerated the decline in the num-
ber of inns. Since 1960, some inns have changed into restaurants, and the num-
ber of souvenir shops has increased.
(4) Declining Shopping Street
After 1980, large retail shops opened in areas close to Monzenmachi. When
Narita Airport opened in 1978, shop owners along Omotesando began to be
employed by companies of airport-related industries and by shops that sold
general goods. In particular, the old shops in Kamicho and between
Shinshoji and Narita Station steadily went out of business after Narita
Airport was built.
(5) Reformation of Monzenmachi via Community Planning
Shop owners who sensed a crisis in maintaining the shopping street took action
to maintain the shopping street. Kamicho restaurant owners organized a
community-planning council in 1990, and asked surrounding shop owners and
local administrators to participate in community planning.
The objective of the community-planning project was to improve the
appearance of Omotesando streets. The project included an initiative to bury
electric cables underground from 2000 to 2003. A setback project and facade
improvement project in 1996 impressed worshipers and shoppers. The project
expanded into Nakamachi and Hanasakicho. Traditional-style buildings were
maintained at Nakamachi and the community planning at Hanasakicho pro-
moted a traditional building repair project in 1996. Narita Station and Ichikawa
Danjuro promoted interest in maintaining the traditional landscape. The set-
back project proved to be a turning point for retail business. New tenants
moved into closed shops. Administrative support also helped community
planning. Narita has improved the landscape of Monzenmachi since 1987, and
the city provided subsidies to the community-planning councils of the indi-
vidual towns. Narita has also funded projects to bury electric cables from 2000
to 2003, the setback project, and the facade improvement project. The project
expenses initially exhausted the Narita budget, limiting what the project could
accomplish. “Community planning subsidies” provided by the Ministry of
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism helped the projects to proceed. By
2012, all the shops and land in Monzenmachi and the commercial space
between Narita Station and Shinshoji was occupied.

4.1.5 Changes in Commercial Space Resulting

from the Community Planning Project

Omotesando has shown changes since the Edo period in more ways than just the
community-planning project that began in the 1990s. Previous changes occurred