, is a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

and his wife,

Empress Shōken , born , was the wife and adviser of Emperor Meiji of Japan. She is also known under the technically more correct name . She was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known throughout the First Sino-Japanese ...

. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

History

Emperor-Meiji-Empress-Shoken-Meiji-Shrine-c1926

After the emperor's death in 1912, the

Japanese Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location. Beppyo shrines Construction began in 1915 under

Itō Chūta was a Japanese architect, architectural historian, and critic. He is recognized as the leading architect and architectural theorist of early 20th-century Imperial Japan. Biography Second son of a doctor in Yonezawa, present-day Yamagata Prefectu ...

, and the shrine was built in the traditional

nagare-zukuri The or is a traditional Shinto shrine architectural style characterized by a very asymmetrical gabled roof () projecting outwards on one of the non-gabled sides, above the main entrance, to form a portico (see photo).

style, using primarily Japanese cypress and copper. The building of the shrine was a national project, mobilizing youth groups and other civic associations from throughout Japan, who contributed labor and funding. The main timbers came from Kiso in Nagano, and Alishan in Taiwan, then a Japanese territory, with materials being utilized from every Japanese

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

, including

Karafuto Karafuto Prefecture ( ja, 樺太庁, ''Karafuto-chō''; russian: Префектура Карафуто, Prefektura Karafuto), commonly known as South Sakhalin, was a prefecture of Japan located in Sakhalin from 1907 to 1949. Karafuto became t ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Kwantung The Kwantung Leased Territory ( ja, 關東州, ''Kantō-shū''; ) was a leased territory of the Empire of Japan in the Liaodong Peninsula from 1905 to 1945. Japan first acquired Kwantung from the Qing Empire in perpetuity in 1895 in the Trea ...

, and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. It was estimated that the cost of the construction was ¥5,219,00 in 1920 (approximately US$26 million

today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...

), about a quarter of the actual cost due to the donated materials and labor. It was formally dedicated on November 3, 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926. The interior volume of the shrine complex when originally built was 650

tsubo A ''pyeong'' (abbreviationpy) is a Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square '' kan'' or 36square Korean feet. The ''ping'' and ''tsubo'' are its equivalent Taiwanese and Japanese units, similarly based on a square '' bu'' ( ja:步) ...

. Until 1946, the Meiji Shrine was officially designated one of the ''Kanpei-taisha'' (), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. 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 has been visited by numerous foreign politicians, including United States President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, United States Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, and

German Foreign Minister , insignia = Bundesadler Bundesorgane.svg , insigniasize = 80px , insigniacaption = , department = Federal Foreign Office , image = Annalena Baerbock (cropped, 2).jpg , alt = , incumbent = Annalena Baerbock , incumbentsince = 8 December ...

Guido Westerwelle Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay person ...

. Kanpei-taisha

Shrine complex

Meiji Shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of . 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

. The entrance to the shrine complex leads through the

Jingu Bashi Jingu may refer to: People *Empress Jingū (c. AD 169–269) * Toshio Jingu (born 1948), a Japanese fencer Other uses *Jingu Stadium, Tokyo, Japan *Jingū, a name for Shinto shrines connected to the Imperial House of Japan *Busanjin District, So ...

bridge. Meiji Shrine is adjacent to

Yoyogi Park is a park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Yoyogikamizonochō. The park is a popular Tokyo destination, especially on Sundays when it is used as a gathering place for Japanese rock music ...

which together is a large forested area. The entrances open at sunrise and close at sunset. The shrine itself is composed of two major areas:

Naien

The Naien is the inner precinct, which is centered on the shrine buildings and includes a treasure museum that houses articles of the Emperor and Empress. The treasure museum is built in the

Azekurazukuri or ''azekura'' is a Japanese architectural style of simple wooden construction, used for storehouses (''kura''), granaries, and other utilitarian structures. This style probably dates to the early centuries of the Common Era, such as during the ...

style.

Gaien

The Gaien is the outer precinct, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery that houses a collection of 80 large murals illustrative of the events in the lives of the Emperor and his consort. It also includes a variety of sports facilities, including the national stadiums (

Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Tokyo, Japan. It was as the main venue for the 1930 Far Eastern Games. It was demolished to make room for Tokyo Olympic Stadium in 1956. The stadium held 65,000 spectators. From 1945 till 1952, during the occupati ...

National Stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...

, and the newer National Stadium), and the Meiji Memorial Hall (Meiji Kinenkan), which was originally used for governmental meetings, including discussions surrounding the drafting of the

Meiji Constitution The Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: , ), known informally as the Meiji Constitution (, ''Meiji Kenpō''), was the constitution of the Empire of Japan which was proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in for ...

in the late 19th century. Today it is used for Shinto weddings as well as meeting rooms rent and restaurants services.

Festivals

Several festivals are held at the shrine per year. Some festivals are held annually. The exhibitions range from ice carving, shodoten (calligraphy winners's works), bonsai, Suiseki Masterpieces, Memory Dolls, Chrysanthemums, Dahlia and exhibitions at the Treasure Museum Annex. * A ring-entering ceremony by a

Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

, called , is performed at the shrine in January (usually around January 5-7) and during the Autumn Festival. Also newly promoted Yokozuna usually perform their first ring-entering ceremony here.
Retrieved 2021-02-15.> * Autumn Grand Festival (From October 31 to November 3) **October 31 - Autumn Grand Festival Bugaku at the main shrine building **November 1 - Autumn Grand Festival: Enshrinement Anniversary Ceremony, Afternoon Ceremony **November 2 - Autumn Grand Festival Morning Ceremony **November 3 - Autumn Grand Festival Anniversary of Emperor Meiji's Birthday File:Kisenosato Yutaka1.jpg, Kisenosato Yutaka, Kisenosato performing his first ''yokozuna dohyō-iri'' at the Meiji Shrine File:Meiji Shrine-1.jpg, In front of Ichino Torii (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-2.jpg, Around Otorii (Ichino Torii) (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-3.jpg, Proceed along the south approach (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-4.jpg, In front of Minamijinmon (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-5.jpg, View the worship hall from the South Shrine (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-6.jpg, Dedication festival (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-7.jpg, Dedication festival (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-8.jpg, View Otorii from the south approach (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:Meiji Shrine-9.jpg, Around Otorii (photographed on October 31, 2010) File:明治神宮ー武道.JPG, Ancient Martial Arts Dedication at the Festival of Autumn (November 2, 2012) File:明治神宮ー火縄銃.JPG, Ancient Martial Arrangement Firework Gun dedication at the Festival of Autumn (November 2, 2012) File:明治神宮ー流鏑馬.JPG, Demon Flower Vacation at the Festival of Autumn (November 2, 2012)

Gallery

File:Meiji-jingu_torii.JPG,

Torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simplest ...

at the entrance to Meiji-jingu File:Meiji_Shrine%2C_Barrels_of_sake.jpg, Barrels of

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

(''nihonshu'') donated to Meiji Shrine File:Meiji Shrine Barrels of wine.jpg, Barrels of

Burgundy wine Burgundy wine ( or ') is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here, and those commonly referred to as "Burgundies," are dry red wi ...

from France donated to Meiji-shrine File:Torii_of_Meiji_Shrine_2018.jpg, Torii at the courtyard of Meiji-jingu File:MeijiShrinePriestsMaidens1187.jpg, Priests and maidens wear traditional dress in preparation for a wedding at Meiji Shrine File:Meiji Jingu - rainy day - 2020 1 18.ogg, Several scenes on a rainy day in Meiji Shrine File:Meiji Shrine Tokyo, Japan.jpg, Women signing prayers in main courtyard File:MeijiShrine3.jpg, Prayers left by visitors File:MeijiShrine1.jpg, In front of Meiji shrine File:MeijiShrine2.jpg, The central sanctuary File:2018_Meiji_Shrine.jpg, Full view of the shrine File:Meiji shrine.jpg, Meiji Shrine main yard panorama File:Meiji-Shrine-Innergarden-02.jpg, Meiji Shrine Gyoen (inner garden) File:Meiji_Shrine_Treasure_Museum_panorama.jpg, Meiji Shrine Treasure Museum File:Yoyogi_Park_from_Hyatt.jpg, Meiji Shrine with

Notes

References

* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887

External links

Official English siteMeiji Shrine English mapMeiji Shrine Pictures & Travel Guide
��Practical　guide　for travelers {{Authority control 1920 establishments in Japan Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II Buildings and structures in Shibuya Emperor Meiji Jingū Religious buildings and structures completed in 1958 Shinto shrines in Tokyo