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Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu), is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken.

After the emperor's death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location.

It was formally dedicated on November 3, 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926.

The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October 1958.

Meiji Shrine map.
Meiji Shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of 70 hectares (170 acres).

  • This area is covered by an evergreen forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established.
  • The forest is visited by many as a recreation and relaxation area in the center of Tokyo.
  • The entrance to the shrine complex leads through the Jingu Bashi bridge.
  • Meiji Shrine is adjacent to Yoyogi Park which together is a large forested area.

Sake barrels.
When displayed near a Shinto shrine, barrels of sake are called kazaridaru, which means “decoration barrels.” As can be surmised, the barrels on display are empty, at least in physical terms. Spiritually, they’re chock full of significance.

  • In Japan, sake has always been a way of bringing our gods and people together.
  • In some of the oldest texts the word used for sake is miki, written with the characters for ‘god’ and ‘wine.’ People would go a shrine festival and be given rice wine to drink, and they would feel happy and closer to the gods.

Second Torii Gate (Nino Torii).
The second torii (Nino Torii) gate of the Meiji Shrine is vast.

  • The height of the torii is 12 meters, and it has a span of 9.1 meters.
  • It is the largest wooden torii in Japan. This torii gate leads visitors to the main shrine through Minamijinmon gate.

Wooden pavilion.

Water ablution pavilion (Chozuya).
Chozu-ya or temizu-ya is a Shinto water ablution pavilion for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu or chozu (lit. 'hand-water'). The pavilion contains a large water-filled basin called a chozubachi ('hand water basin').

  • At shrines, these chozubachi are used by worshippers for washing their left hands, right hands, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves before approaching the main Shinto shrine or shaden.
  • This symbolic purification is normal before worship and all manned shrines have this facility, as well as many Buddhist temples and some new religious houses of worship.
  • See more at Chōzuya - Wikipedia.

Third Torii Gate (Sanno Torii).
The third torii gate is next to handwashing and before the Ema counter.

  • From the third torii gate to the main Sanctuary is a straight line.
  • So, visitors can see the main Sanctuary through the Minamijinmon gate from the third torii gate.

South Gate (Minami Mikado).
The South Gate is in the straight line of the main Sanctuary.

  • Besides, the two-story South Gate is the most significant gate, made with Japanese cypress.
  • The gate is majestic in colorful, craving wooden structures.
  • It's the most beautiful gate of the shrine.
  • In addition, the South Gate is the gate priests usually enter the central premise of the shrine during the events.

Couple Camphor Trees (Fufu Kusu).
The most exciting part for husband and wife is two Camphor trees in front of the main Sanctuary.

  • These trees were planted in 1920.
  • These couple trees are familiar as 'Meoto Kusu' (husband and wife), tied with a sacred rope, considered a happy and harmonious couple life.

Ema Hall (Ema-do).
In some early Shinto and folk traditions of Japan, horses were seen as carrying messages from the kami, and were usually used to transmit requests during droughts or famines. Horses were extremely expensive, and figures made of clay or wood have been found dating to the Nara period. The earliest text record of a substitution is from the Honcho Bunsui from 1013, in which an offering of three paper horses is made at the Kitano Tenjin shrine. During the Kamakura period, the practice entered into Buddhist practice, as evidenced in painted scrolls of ema at Buddhist temples.

  • Ema are left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them.
  • Once inscribed with a wish, ema are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.
  • As a ritual, the ema is a means to communicate wishes to both priests and the kami. The public nature of the ema, which are displayed at shrines before their ritual burning, also serves a social function for communicating to the community that an individual has made the wish. Burning the wishes helps to "symbolically liberate" the spirit of the wish into the world. In some cases, however, wishes are taken from the shrine to be hung at home, though still ritually burned in special ceremonies.
  • See more at Ema (Shinto) - Wikipedia.

Outer Worship Hall (Gehaiden).
The Main Sanctuary (main shrine) is surrounded by the Sukibei Wall. The Main Shrine is divided into two precincts, the inner precinct and the outer precinct.

  • The inner precinct has three important buildings: the Outer Worship Hall (Gehaiden), the Inner Worship Hall (Nihaiden), and the Treasure Museum (treasure house).
  • Visitors can only arrive outside the Outer Worship Hall (Gehaiden) and offer their prayer there.
  • After the Outer Worship Hall (Gehaiden) is the Inner Worship Hall (Nihaiden), considered the holiest place, only priests can go there.
  • Devotees can enter here. But they need advance permission.
  • There is an open space between the Outer Worship Hall (Gehaiden) and the Inner Worship Hall (Nihaiden), surrounded by like Sukibei Wall with seats. This is the place where all ceremonies take place.
  • So, tourists need extra permission to enter Meji-ji Treasure Museum, which contains Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken's belongings.

See also

Source

Location

Location: 1-1 Yoyogikamizonochō, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-8557, Japan