Sacred Places, Pilgrimage, and Tourism - Geography of Religion in Japan: Religious Space, Landscape, and Behavior - page 150

and based on the philosophy of the traditional themes and customs passed down to
Monzenmachi from history. Some conscious reminders of traditional buildings
(such as massive, old, three-story wooden inns) remain, and the pride of Nakamachi
as a Monzenmachi remains. As well as retaining a traditional landscape, Nakamachi
also retained traditional activities, which are particularly apparent at the Gion
Festival with fl oats passed down from ancestors. This preserves and passes the spirit
and pride of the town to the next generation.
The direction of the community planning differed in each town located in the
same Omotesando site. No hollowing of Narita's city center has occurred, and the
area still functions as a Monzenmachi, with fully functional commercial and service
industries in the central shopping street. Although group worship by ko has
decreased, the temple Naritasan Shinshoji still attracts large numbers of tourists and
worshipers, and now the pedestrian traffi c at Omotesando is large and motor vehi-
cles are signifi cant. The investments improved the large-scale infrastructures of
Narita and the surrounding areas when the airport was built, created much employ-
ment, and bestowed favorable social and economic conditions on Narita as a local
city located 50-100 km from the metropolitan area.
The type of commercial space in Shinshoji-Omotesando did not form or transform
merely in response to the external environment. There was always an underlying
sense of crisis about the commercial area, and the efforts in both inherent and volun-
tary community planning maintained the commercial space and suitable business.
Omotesando succeeded primarily because of the cooperation of Shinshoji with
the administration. Shinshoji has not had any accommodation and dining facilities
within the temple grounds since the Edo period. This was very important to the for-
mation of Monzenmachi because worshipers who stayed overnight, ate, or purchased
goods at Monzenmachi provided economic benefi ts for the towns. Shinshoji and the
development of Monzenmachi resulted in other mutually benefi cial relationships.
Worshipers concentrate at Shinshoji around New Year, in May, and in September,
and the community wanted to increase tourist and worshiper visits in other months.
The Narita Tourist Association, which was mainly established by the Inns Association
of Omotesando, tried to attract guests by holding events in the off-season of Shinshoji.
Other tourists arrived to visit Monzenmachi, but also worshiped at Shinshoji and
visited the shopping street of Omotesando, providing benefi ts to all parties.
The population of Narita in 2012 including the new town and old Naritamachi,
with Omotesando at the center, was over 120,000. The administration supports
landscape improvement projects in the area, mainly through community planning
projects, and helps prevent the hollowing out of the Narita's city center. Improving
the landscape also nurtures the unity and local consciousness of area residents.
I note that by responding to the change in times, each town, either independently
or cooperatively, promotes community planning. The setback project that occurred at
Kamicho and Hanasakicho was not promoted by individual owners, but instead by a
judgment made by the township association responding to severe economic condi-
tions. The setback project and facade improvement project forced individual owners
to refurbish their shops. Owners had to make a business judgment to continue,
change, or discontinue their business. While some owners opposed the projects, the