Japan | Tokyo – Meiji Shrine

In the middle of one of the busiest areas of Tokyo lies Yoyogi Park, an expansive stretch of ruggedly curated green space in an otherwise concrete jungle.

Through these torii gates a hidden world awaited.

The sights and sounds of the city were immediately forgotten once we stepped through the massive wooden portal, replaced by the tranquility of trees, arched stone bridges, and hidden gardens. Moments before we squinted and sweated in the midday sun, but inside the park the forest was cool and shaded.

We soon approached a wall of decorative barrels, or kazaridaru, commonly found at many Shinto shrines. Drinking sake, especially during religious festivals, has been said to bring one “closer to the gods.” These sake barrels (fyi: they’re empty) were donated by various sake brewers in exchange for good luck and prosperity.

I especially loved all the different sake barrel designs, calligraphy, and artwork!

Opposite the sake barrels was a wall of wine barrels, gifted to Emperor Meiji from the Burgandy region in France.

Emperor Meiji, the namesake of Meiji Shrine, was probably the most well-known and significant emperors in Japanese history. Under his rule, the Meiji Reformation ushered in an era of modernization and transformed Japan from an isolated feudal state to an imperial world power. The Emperor was said to be a man of revolutionary thought who embraced industry, Western ideals and … European wine. It’s always interested me to see how Eastern culture borrows and adapts Western culture (and vice versa) to suit local traditions, styles, or flavors. In this case the Japanese tradition of sake barrels at a Shinto shrine was reinterpreted using wine barrels.

We passed through another gate and then took part in misogi, a Shinto purification ritual. We poured the cool, clear water over our hands at the temizuya, or water pavilion, washing away any ‘impurities’ and cleansing our hearts, bodies, and minds.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do so I watched Sly intensely and then followed his lead:

• Step 1: scoop water in a ladle with right hand and pour water over your left hand.
• Step 2: holding the ladle with your left hand and pour water over your right hand.
• Step 3: Rinse your mouth using water scooped into your left hand. DO NOT touch the ladle directly to your mouth!
• Step 4: Tip the ladle and using the remaining water to rinse it off

Note: all of these steps occurred with just one scoop of water!

Hands and hearts now purified, we were ready to enter the shrine.

awesome tree

twisted rope – shimenawa – adorned with white paper signifies a sacred space and offers protection

After wandering around the shrine we noticed a procession of people beautifully dressed in traditional Japanese garments.

It was a wedding!

I read that weddings were common happenings at Japanese shrines (just like in the movie Lost in Translation!) but I didn’t think we would actually see one!

Or for that matter, TWO weddings!

Both were so beautiful with such lovely brides. We both felt really lucky to witness such a special event.

I posted a version of this photo to my instagram feed and the bride found it and contacted me to thank me for the photo. The power of social media!

Once the wedding crowds dissipated we walked to the so-called “wishing tree,” a massive camphor tree surrounded by walls of hanging wooden boards, or ema.

I don’t fully subscribe to any religion but I having been raised half Buddhist, I have always felt something of a kinship towards Eastern religious beliefs. For example, Japanese Shinto believe that all living things possess a kami, or spirit. Kami is a part of nature, a “manifestation of the interconnecting energy of the universe.” As someone who constantly needs to be outdoors; who feels energized and most at peace when I’m surrounded by nature, I can really buy into this belief.

Thus, this beautiful sacred tree contained kami, and as such, people traditionally wrote wishes and blessings on ema and hung them around the tree in hopes that the kama-spirit would hear their prayers. In present day, the spiritual aspect of ema seemed a little bit overshadowed by touristy photo ops, but evenso I enjoyed walking around the tree, reading everyone’s wishes, and hoping that they all came true.

I wish we had arrived a little earlier because I read (after the fact) that a lot of food vendors sell food on a stick outside Shinto shrines. Not that there weren’t an infinite number of delicious things to eat in Japan. I just have a soft spot for street food.

After exploring Meiji Shrine for a couple hours we stopped by the gift shop (of course), purchased a few small souvenirs, used their free wifi, debated eating an ice cream cone at the attached cafe, and then decided to walk to nearby Harajuku in search of some (exquisitely crafted, because we’re in Japan) coffee.

DETAILS

Meiji Shrine / Meiji Jingu | LOCATION: Yoyogi Park, Shibuya. Closest metro: Harajuku | COST: Free. Additional fee for other sites such as the Inner Garden | DESCRIPTION: Very popular tourist-y Shinto shrine in Tokyo. Meiji Shrine was dedicated to the Emperor and Empress and built in the gardens that they loved. The original shrine, constructed of over 100,000 trees donated from all over Japan was destroyed during WWII and rebuilt in the late 1950s. The shrine and surrounding forest is a wonderful place to take a stroll and get away from the city. The shrine is a popular place to hold weddings, festivals and ceremonies. For the ultimate experience, there are shops nearby that rent kimonos (and do hair and make-up! and have cats!) specifically for taking photos at the shrine, something that is quite popular here in Korea. It’s quite pricey but better than splurging on an expensive kimono you probably won’t ever wear again? | FACILITIES: bathrooms, cafe, gift shop, and various booths selling amulets, calligraphy, and small souvenirs | GOOD FOR: All ages | TIP: For a free souvenir, don’t miss getting a piece of paper or booklet stamped with your visitation date at Nagadono Juyosho (Amulet Office). I wish I had known that before I visited Japan — you can get eki stamps from train stations, shrines, castles, spas, rest stops — pretty much anywhere tourists visit in Japan. Another great souvenir is a Goshuin notebook, or a notebook that you purchase and have someone stamp and write in Japanese calligraphy!  Yet another great souvenir are all the little lucky charms and talismans that can be found at the “Amulet Office” in front of the shrine. | NOTE: In 2014 there was an outbreak of Dengue Fever in this area. As such, mosquito repellent is advised. I recall seeing signs about mosquitoes when I visited the shrine but I didn’t realize the warning was in response to a recent outbreak. Despite being mosquito bait (and being highly allergic to bites) I didn’t get a single bite here. If you forgot your bug spray they have some at the guard stations that you can use for free. | ETIQUETTE: While this is a popular tourist spot it is still a place of worship. For proper etiquette on visiting a shrine, regardless of religion, click here.