Meiji Shrine

FamousEveryone goes here. We cover what the guidebooks skip: when it is quiet, and what is worth your time next door.

Researched and written by Hinato

Meiji ShrineShintoforestHarajukutraditional

Photo: kanesue / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · original

Ask where to send a first-time visitor for a temple or shrine in Tokyo, and Meiji Shrine comes up more than once.

Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingu) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, set within 175 acres of forested sanctuary in central Tokyo. The shrine was completed in 1920, destroyed in WWII, and rebuilt in 1958. The approach to the shrine is a short walk through towering trees (70,000 trees from across Japan, all donated and planted during the shrine's original construction), creating a transition from urban Tokyo to sacred forest space.

The shrine's main hall (honden) is built in traditional nagare-zukuri style with cypress wood and copper roofing. The massive torii gate at the entrance — made from 1,500-year-old cypress trees — is one of Japan's largest. Meiji Shrine is Tokyo's premier spot for traditional Shinto weddings (20-30 ceremonies on weekends), and visitors often witness bridal processions in white shiromuku kimono.

Our angle on Meiji Shrine

Nobody else is going here

Everyone within a mile of Meiji Shrine is going to Meiji Shrine. Here are 4 places within 21km of it that almost nobody writes about — straight-line distances from our own catalogue, not travel times.

Visiting essentials

Best time to visit

Spring (cherry blossoms) | June (iris garden, 150 varieties) | Early morning year-round for solitude

Hours

Varies by venue — confirm before visiting

Closed: Open year-round

Admission

Free | Inner Garden (御苑 Gyoen): ¥500

Time to allow

30-60 minutes (90 minutes including Inner Garden)

Finding your way there

Directions

Meiji Shrine: Shibuya-ku. Near Harajuku Station (JR) or Meiji-jingumae Station (Metro). Visit duration: 30-60 minutes.

Visiting etiquette & tips

**Optimal visit time:** Early morning (6:00-8:00 summer, 7:00-9:00 winter) offers solitude and soft light filtering through forest canopy. The shrine sees 3 million visitors annually, making mornings essential for contemplative experience. Weekday mornings are quieter than weekends. Avoid New Year (Jan 1-3) when the shrine receives 3 million visitors in 72 hours — the most-visited shrine in Japan during hatsumode (first shrine visit). **Wedding observations:** Shinto weddings occur most weekends (spring and autumn peak seasons). The processions depart from the waiting area near the main hall around 11:00, 13:00, and 15:00. The bride wears white shiromuku with a white hood (tsunokakushi), the groom wears black montsuki kimono. Photography of the procession is permitted from a respectful distance — don't block the path or use flash. **Omikuji and ema:** The shrine sells omikuji (おみくじ, fortune slips, ¥100) and ema (絵馬, wooden prayer plaques, ¥500). Omikuji are selected at random — if the fortune is bad (末吉 or 凶), tie it to the designated rack to leave the bad luck behind. Ema are written with wishes and hung at the shrine — common wishes include health, success, love. English translations available at the counter. **Inner Garden:** The Meiji Jingu Inner Garden (御苑, Gyoen, ¥500 entry) is a separate section with iris gardens (hanashobu, bloom mid-June) and a pond. The garden was designed by Emperor Meiji for Empress Shoken. It's a peaceful extension of the main shrine visit — budget an additional 30 minutes. The iris garden's 150 varieties bloom for 2-3 weeks in June.

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