Tokyo Travels Part 18: Meiji Jingu

Before we wandered about Harajuku, we spent some time in the Meiji Jingu Shrine.  It's a Shinto shrine that honors Ermperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. You can read more about the Shrine here.

The entrance to the grounds is set a giant wooden Tori, or gate, that tells you are crossing the border.

There were plenty of people there but it wasn't crowded on the Monday afternoon in May that we visited.  The wide gravel path ways made it easy to get around.

I like this image because of the broom the sweeper is using.  It appears to be just straw tied to a pole.  It's simple and likely not the most efficient sweeping instrument, suggesting sweeping efficiency is not its primary purpose.  I also like that the woman is carrying an umbrella for protection from the sun.  We saw that all the time in the sunny streets of Tokyo.  I'm surprised we don't see more people doing that in Seattle on those rare sunny days.

Wine barrels and rice containers faced each other across opposite sides of the path, illustrating the Meiji policy of "Japanese Spirit and Western Knowledge."

There is  a separate garden within the shrine.  There was an admission fee for the garden and another ticket required for a well in the garden.  The wait for Kiyomasa's well was estimated to be over an hour so we opted to skip that part.

The gardens were pleasant with a well manicured lawn around a tea house.

The Koi pond had plenty of fish and more turtles than I usually see in these ponds.  There were plenty of gold koi, but they seemed a bit camera shy.

The heart of the Shrine is in the inner grounds.  There's another gate to pass through before you enter a large plaza.

While we were there, a bride was getting her picture taken.  What was fascinating was how many people were photographing her in traditioanal garb.  The photographers were more interesting than their subject.

The Meiji Jingu Shrine is definitely worth a visit on a trip to Tokyo.

You can see more of my Tokyo pictures here.

You can read more about my trip here.