Mejii Jingu Shrine

Mejii Jingu Shrine 10/28/24

Meiji Jingu is one of the Shinto shrines in Japan, with the vast land of the forest (170 acres), located in the middle of the megacity, Tokyo. Once you step into this precinct, you will forget that you are in the hustle bustle city, and will find Japanese traditional scene amidst greenery nature. It was established in 1920, to commemorate the virtue of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken who took the initiative to make a foundation of modernized Japan.

Mejii Jingu Shrine

Torii at the entrance to Meiji-jingu. A torii symbolizes the place where the gods come down from above, and is the line separating our world from theirs. It is…

Mejii Jingu Shrine

Ootorii, Great or Second Torii Gate

Standing at 12 meters tall and 17.1 meters wide, Ootorii is the largest wooden myojin-style torii in Japan. The original gate was destroyed by lightning in…

Mejii Jingu Shrine

At the Meiji Jingu Shrine, there are two immense wooden torii gates — the largest in Japan — which are made of cypress wood that is over 1600 years old.

Mejii Jingu Shrine

It is considered respectful to walk on the sides of the path, and avoid walking down the middle as the Emperor or Empress would be the ones to walk there.

Mejii Jingu Shrine

The sake barrels are offerings to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, from sake brewers all over Japan. The ancient Japanese word for sake…

Mejii Jingu Shrine

The massive sake barrel displays, or kazaridaru, made of straw sake barrels, called komodaru, lining the path. There is usually one barrel from each of Japan’s…

Mejii Jingu Shrine

This wall contains annual gifts from winemakers in Burgundy, France. It is said that the Emperor was quite fond of red wine and these barrels symbolise the…