Fire in Narita cancels Gion Festival and mobilizes firefighters in Chiba Prefecture
A large fire that occurred on the night of Thursday, July 10, in the city of Narita, located in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, resulted in the immediate cancellation of the traditional Narita Gion Festival. The festival, known for bringing together residents and tourists near the iconic Naritasan Temple, was interrupted while fire crews persisted in their efforts to control the intense flames.
The incident was reported around 8:15 pm that same Thursday, when an employee of the eel restaurant “Surugaya”, located in Nakamachi, Narita, contacted emergency service 119. The report detailed the presence of smoke in the kitchen, located on the ground floor, and the urgent need to evacuate customers who occupied the second floor of the establishment.
The Fire Department authorities, who operate in the area, reported that, so far, there has been no record of people trapped inside the building. The teams’ efforts are focused on checking for possible injuries as a result of the incident.
With the emergency situation in place, the Narita Gion Festival, which had already been underway in the vicinity of the Naritasan Temple since the beginning of the 10th, had its programming definitively suspended. The cancellation was a preventive and safety measure due to the extent of the fire.
