Immerse Yourself In The Serenity And Rich History Of The Meiji Shrine
Holy shrines litter Japan and the rest of The Orient, and many of them are ostentatious, even garish; not so the elegant, serene Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Situated in 81 hectares (200 acres) of parkland and forests, the Meiji Shrine is free to visit, and open daily from dawn to dusk. Despite there being no official entry fee, most visitors donate a few yen to the offering box.
Also known as the Meiji Jingu Shrine, this building with its 12-metre-high (40 feet) gates is dedicated to the Emperor and Empress Meiji; he was the late 19th-century emperor who opened Japan to the West and ensured the future exponential growth of Tokyo.
This attraction is easy to access as it is located in central Tokyo. If you visit on Sundays, you might just bear witness to a Shinto wedding. Add your message and prayers to the collection of small notes stuck to the walls. Your dreams may come true. Don’t miss seeing the fabulous perennial Iris Garden on the grounds in the spring.