Amidst the hustle bustle of the Japanese metropolis Tokyo, you can find places that calm down one’s soul.
One such place is Meiji Jingu—A shrine that stands out with the mix of modern and traditional Japanese architecture.
This place is very traditional unlike the other very modern attractions in the Japanese capital like the teamLabs Planets, Tokyo Sky Tree, or Shibuya Sky.
The emperors of Japan were considered as deities. They were thought to have a “ Divine right to rule” and hence they were given a lot of importance even after their death.
Spending My Day at the Meiji Jingu
Meiji Jingu was built for the legendary emperor Meiji and his wife Shoken.
Emperor Meiji was actually the first emperor of modern Japan. He changed the fortunes of Japan and was highly Influential in changing Japan into a modern country and a lot of development took place in his era.
This is the reason that he is highly respected in Japanese history.
Here’s a glimpse into what I found inside the Meiji Jingu:
Tori Gate Near JR HaraJuku Station
From the busy life of Tokyo, I walked into the tranquility of forestry and Greenery through the Torii Gate near Harajuku station.
The entrance itself is massive and the gate exemplifies the greatness and grandeur of Meiji Jingu.
As I entered this hate, all I could see was giant trees. According to an estimate,there are about 100,000 trees on this passageway.
Map
The first thing to look for after entering the gate is the shrine’s map. The humongous shrine can easily confuse a new visitor, so it is absolutely essential to keep a track of your movement by following the instructions on the map.
You need to follow the map to properly enjoy your trip. I did follow the map to take part in all the traditions of the shrine.
It is very easy to lose track of where you are if you don’t really follow a certain road map due to the grand nature of the Shrine.
Path to Main Shrine
The path to the main shrine is highly populated with trees and you breath in a lot of fresh air and tranquility as you walk through the path to the main shrine.
The main shrine has a lot of traditional activities for the tourists to perform and I absolutely loved each and every moment of this serene experience.
This is indeed very different from the recent trip I had in Odaiba where I visited the Unko Poop Museum. This activity is more serious and also spiritual in nature.
Sake Barrels
As I walked through this historical shrine , I saw a very large collection of sake Barrels. Sake is actually a Japanese rice wine that is mostly exclusive to Japan only .
The sake Barrels are considered as a source of connection between the gods and the people . The sake developers gift these barrels in the name of the deities or the emperors that are enshrined.
The sake of the barrels is used at the time of different festivals that take place at the shrine.
Wine Barrels
During my day at Meiji Jingu, I also noticed a unique thing there. There was a huge collection of wine barrels inside the shrine.
However , it was made clear upon research that this is a tradition and a number of brewers around the world donate wine barrels to the shrine as a token of appreciation for the great emperor Meiji.
The emperor Meiji was fond of making connections with the foreign world and he believed in exchanging food and culture.
One of his favorite beverage was French wine and that’s why you can find it in his shrine too.
These are offerings that are paid to the shrine and the management of the shrine gleefully accepts such offerings from around the world.
Torii Gate Infront Minami Shinmon
Such gates are actually highly symbolic. These gates symbolize that you are entering into something that is very sacred and respected by one and all.
This gate is actually the entrance from the south area. The gate is also one of the very few places that is actually in its original form and shape because it was not destroyed during the world war.
You can find shade of the gigantic trees even under the scorching sun.
Luck Test
There are a number of traditional activities that can be performed at meiji Jingu and doing a luck test is one of those activities.
You can also buy different charms and amulets from this place. I did a luck test and I think I find myself lucky enough actually to have visited the place. Did I really need a luck test?
Main Shrine
The main shrine is a highly spiritual place with thick forestry and a unique architecture.
However, I also came to know that the emperor is not actually buried here and the shrine is actually symbolic and associative in nature.
Iris garden
The iris garden of Meiji Jingu is just the most beautiful thing that you are going to see in Tokyo. When in full bloom, this inner garden of Meiji Jingu is a treat for the eyes. It has around 1500 iris plants of 150 different species.
These plants are gardened in a specific shape and they look like little domes spread across a wide area.
South Pond
The inner garden of Meiji Jingu actually existed even before the shrine . South pond is a part of that . It covers around 8,300 square meters and the pond is full of fresh spring water . It’s also called the Nan-chi pond.
Kiyomasa’s Well
This well was dug by Kiyomasa, who was an army commander who dug this well around four hundred years ago.
This has a lot of historical significance and this is the well that supplies water to Iris garden and the south pond.
However , there is a non drinking board that is applied there and it’s not permissible to drink water out of this well .
All in all , I absolutely loved my day at Meiji Jingu and I would highly recommend everyone to at least make this visit once in their lifetime because:
“Anything can happen
In this fleeting world of ours
So be aware that
Hearts of all our people
Would still be filled with abundance”
