Kamisama 神様 · Episode 05 · Shrine Guide
明 治 神 宮
Meiji Shrine
明治神宮
A Forest in the Heart of Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan · 12 min read · Free Entry
Opening
Surrounded by Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku — in the middle of one of the world’s most densely packed cities — there is a forest of 100,000 trees. At its heart stands Meiji Shrine. Step through the torii gate and the noise of Tokyo disappears completely. This is one of the most extraordinary contrasts in the world.
Table of Contents
Section I
What Is Meiji Shrine?
Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) was founded in 1920 and is dedicated to Emperor Meiji (明治天皇) and Empress Shoken (昭憲皇太后) — the imperial couple who presided over Japan’s transformation from a feudal society into a modern nation during the Meiji era (1868–1912).
It is one of the most visited shrines in Japan. During the first three days of January alone — the traditional New Year’s shrine visit known as hatsumōde (初詣) — over three million people come to pray here, making it the most visited shrine in Japan for New Year’s celebrations every single year.
✦ Sacred Knowledge
Unlike Fushimi Inari — dedicated to a kami of nature — Meiji Shrine is dedicated to a real historical person who was deified after death. This makes it a fundamentally different type of shrine, and a fascinating window into the uniquely Japanese tradition of elevating exceptional humans to the status of kami.
明
Section II
The Secret of 100,000 Trees
The forest surrounding Meiji Shrine feels ancient — dense, quiet, and sacred. It seems like it must have been there for centuries. In fact, it is just over a hundred years old. And it was built entirely by human hands.
When the shrine was established in 1920, the site was largely barren. A team of forestry experts and volunteers planted approximately 100,000 trees donated from across Japan and from Japanese communities overseas. The species were selected with extraordinary care — not just for beauty, but for ecological purpose. The plan was to create a self-sustaining forest that would require no human maintenance and would grow more natural-looking with every passing decade.
✦ Mind-Blowing Fact
The forest was designed to look completely natural within 100 years. The experts who planned it in 1920 would not live to see the result — they were designing for future generations. Today, over a century later, the forest has become almost indistinguishable from a naturally grown ancient woodland. A human-made sacred forest that fooled time itself.
治
Section III
A Human Who Became a God
Emperor Meiji was not a mythological figure. He was a real person, born in 1852, who ascended to the throne in 1867 at the age of fifteen. Under his reign, Japan underwent one of the most dramatic transformations in modern history — ending two and a half centuries of samurai rule and emerging as one of the world’s leading industrial and military powers within a single generation.
When Emperor Meiji died in 1912, the decision was made to enshrine him as a kami — a divine spirit. This practice, known as shinkkaku (神格化), is a deeply Japanese tradition rooted in the Shinto belief that extraordinary individuals can possess divine essence. The most famous earlier example is Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo shogunate, enshrined at Nikko Toshogu.
Two Very Different Kinds of Kami
Fushimi Inari
Inari Ōkami
A kami of nature — rice, foxes, prosperity. Never existed as a human. A primordial divine spirit.
Meiji Shrine
Emperor Meiji
A kami who was once human. A real historical figure deified after death for his extraordinary achievements.
This distinction matters. When you pray at Meiji Shrine, you are not praying to an abstract natural force — you are addressing the spirit of a man who lived, who led, who transformed a nation. For many Japanese people, visiting Meiji Shrine carries a sense of gratitude to a specific historical person, not just a cosmic kami.
神
Section IV
The Wine Barrels and Sake Barrels
Walking along the approach path toward the shrine, you will pass a striking display on both sides of the path: enormous wooden barrels, stacked high, decorated with colourful labels and ropes. This is one of the most photographed — and most puzzling — sights at Meiji Shrine.
On one side stand traditional Japanese sake barrels (酒樽, sakedaru). On the other stand French wine barrels from Bordeaux. Most visitors stop and stare, completely confused. What does wine have to do with a Shinto shrine?
✦ The Answer
Emperor Meiji was famous for his enthusiastic embrace of Western culture. He was one of the first Japanese emperors to regularly drink wine, wear Western clothing, and engage with European customs. The wine barrels at Meiji Shrine are an offering — donated by French wineries and Japanese importers as a tribute to the emperor who opened Japan’s doors to the world. The sake barrels represent Japan’s own ancient tradition. Together, they symbolise the meeting of East and West that defined the Meiji era.
宮
Section V
Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine
One of the most common points of confusion for visitors to Meiji Shrine is the existence of two completely separate areas: the naien (内苑, Inner Shrine) and the gaien (外苑, Outer Shrine). Many visitors arrive expecting one cohesive site and are bewildered to find that these two areas are not even within walking distance of each other.
Naien vs Gaien — Which One Should You Visit?
内苑
Inner Shrine
The shrine itself — the sacred forest, the great torii gate, the main hall, the well, the iris garden. This is where you come to pray, receive a goshuin, and experience the sacred atmosphere.
📍 Directly accessible from Harajuku Station (JR) or Meiji-jingumae Station (Tokyo Metro)
外苑
Outer Shrine
A separate area about 2km away. Home to the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, the National Olympic Stadium, and the famous ginkgo tree avenue. More of a cultural and sports district than a sacred space.
📍 Nearest station: Aoyama-itchome or Gaienmae (Tokyo Metro)
✦ Simple Rule
If you are coming to visit the shrine, pray, and receive a goshuin — go to the Inner Shrine (内苑). The Outer Shrine is a separate cultural destination worth visiting on its own, but it is not the shrine itself.
代
Section VI
The Origin of the Name Yoyogi
The area surrounding Meiji Shrine is known as Yoyogi (代々木) — one of Tokyo’s most recognisable place names. The kanji that make up the word are striking: 代 meaning “generation” and 々 (a repetition mark) meaning “and again” and 木 meaning “tree.” Literally: the tree of generation after generation.
According to one widely told account, the name comes from a single large zelkova tree (keyaki, 欅) that once stood on this land. This tree was said to have been carefully protected and passed down through successive generations — and so it became known as yoyo no ki (代々の木), “the tree of generations,” which over time transformed into the place name Yoyogi. Today, within the grounds of Meiji Shrine, descendants of that tree are said to still stand — quiet witnesses to centuries of change.
✦ Note
The true origin of the name Yoyogi is debated among historians, and several theories exist. This “tree of generations” account is the most widely known and retold, but it should be understood as a folk etymology rather than a firmly established historical fact. Japan is full of place names whose origins have blurred into legend — which, in many ways, makes them more interesting.
々
Section VII
Essential Visitor Information
Entry
Free. The shrine grounds are free to enter. The Meiji Jingu Museum (明治神宮ミュージアム) has a separate admission fee.
Hours
Sunrise to sunset. Opening and closing times vary by season. Generally around 5:00–6:00am to 4:30–6:30pm. Check the official website for current times before visiting.
Access
JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station — the shrine entrance is directly outside. Also accessible via Tokyo Metro to Meiji-jingumae Station (Chiyoda/Fukutoshin Lines).
Best Time
Early morning. The shrine opens at sunrise and the forest is extraordinary in the early light. Weekday mornings are significantly quieter than weekends. Avoid the first three days of January if you dislike crowds — over three million people visit in that period.
Tip
After visiting the shrine, the combination of Meiji Shrine + Harajuku + Omotesando makes for one of Tokyo’s best half-day walks. Sacred forest to street fashion in five minutes.
A Note from sHiNji
Meiji Shrine on a weekday morning in autumn is one of my favourite places in all of Tokyo. The light through the forest canopy, the sound of gravel underfoot, the occasional crow calling from somewhere deep in the trees. Five minutes from Harajuku — and it feels like another world entirely. Do not rush through it. Walk slowly. The forest is the point.
Goshuin Corner · 御朱印
御朱印
The Sacred Stamp of Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine — 明治神宮
①
Main Goshuin 通常御朱印
The standard goshuin of Meiji Shrine. Bold calligraphy with the official shrine seals. Clean, elegant, and distinctly different from Fushimi Inari’s style.
📍 Authorised office inside the shrine · 🕐 8:00am – 4:00pm
¥500
📖
Goshuin-chō 御朱印帳
Meiji Shrine original goshuin books are available at the authorised office. Elegant designs featuring the shrine crest.
¥1,500〜
Goshuin are proof of your visit — and a direct connection to the kami of this place.
ちょっと寄り道 · A Little Detour
Harajuku & Takeshita Street
原宿 · 竹下通り
Takeshita Street — five minutes from the sacred forest.
Walk out of Meiji Shrine through the great torii gate. Turn right. Walk five minutes. And you will find yourself in one of the most extreme culture-shock moments Tokyo has to offer.
Takeshita Street (竹下通り, Takeshita-dōri) is a narrow 350-metre alley that serves as the beating heart of Japanese youth fashion and pop culture. Colourful crêpe shops, vintage clothing stores, photo booths, cosplay costume sellers, accessory stalls, and sweet shops line both sides, packed so tightly that on weekends the crowd moves at the pace of a slow river.
Length
Approximately 350 metres — short enough to walk end-to-end in five minutes, long enough to spend an hour exploring.
Known for
Japanese street fashion, kawaii culture, crepes, vintage clothing, and the full spectrum of Tokyo youth style — from Harajuku-kei to streetwear to cosplay.
Best time
Weekday mornings are manageable. Weekend afternoons are extraordinary in their chaos — fun to experience at least once, but be prepared for the crowds.
The transition from Meiji Shrine to Takeshita Street is one of Tokyo’s great experiences — sacred silence to pop-culture chaos in five minutes. Both are authentically Tokyo. Both are worth experiencing in the same morning.
Coming Next — Episode 06
Ise Grand Shrine
— Japan’s Most Sacred Site
Deep in the forests of Mie Prefecture, the most sacred shrine in all of Japan has been ritually rebuilt every 20 years for over 1,300 years. Next episode, we visit the home of Amaterasu — the goddess of the sun.
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Written by
sHiNji
⛩ Shrine Maniac 🗾 Based in Japan 📜 Jinja Kentei Certified
A self-confessed shrine obsessive currently living in Japan. sHiNji holds the Jinja Kentei (神社検定) — Japan’s official shrine knowledge certification — and has spent years exploring shrines from the towering gates of Fushimi Inari to forgotten stone altars deep in mountain forests. Kamisama is his attempt to share that obsession with the world, one episode at a time.
Exploring Japan’s sacred world, one shrine at a time.
📱 @shinji_kamisama · 𝕏 @sHiNji_Kamisama · 📧 Substack
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