kenleewrites in 日本

Let’s take a little walk through Meiji Jingu (Shrine). Located right beside Harajuku station, Meiji Jingu (明治神宮) was constructed on November 1 and enshrines the souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. If you’ve been to Tokyo, chances are you’ve been here. If not, this is a place you would like to visit.

The main shrine is located in the heart of an evergreen forest and is a short 8 minute walk from the front gate. Along the way, you’ll find barrels of Japanese sake lined up to greet you.

This is the entrance to the main shrine complex.

There’s always a small crowd at Meiji Jingu throughout the year. The grounds get really crowded during special events like the new year countdown. Shinto weddings are also held here from time to time.

The spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are enshrined in the building up ahead. One can go and pay their respects there.

Looking out from the main shrine, you can see the that the grounds are pretty spacious. I haven’t been here on new year’s eve, but to imagine a horde occupying the grounds is simply just mindblowing!

It’s a common practice to leave a wish whenever you visit a shinto shrine. Ema (絵馬) are small wooden plaques (usually sold for ¥500) on which you write your prayers or wishes before hanging them up for all to see at the shrine. Ema-s are collected and burnt in a daily ritual. From what I’ve been told, the smoke from the burning ema rises up to the gods, conveying the people’s wishes.

You can read more about Meiji Jingu over at Wikipedia.

Here’s a little trivia for you. Do you know the difference between a shrine (神宮) and a temple (寺)?

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