Perhaps one of the most accessible shrines in Tokyo, the Meiji Shrine proved to be full of life when we visited this weekend. Despite the oppressive heat, the forest surrounding the shrine provided great shade as we wandered around and took in weddings, prayer cards and more.
At the entrance of the shrine, past the tori, visitors are asked to cleanse their hands and mouth (other shrines, such as Asakusa, have incense visitors use to purify themselves).
Once inside we immediately came upon two weddings. It seems that whenever we’ve visited a shrine as of late we come across a wedding.
The brides were both beautiful but I have to wonder how they managed to not pass out in the heavy wedding kimonos.
Once inside the main shrine we took a moment to reflect on how peaceful it was, despite its location in the center of Tokyo.
It is always the small details that are the most striking…
We also came upon the prayer cards I shared yesterday.
It was a hot day, but as always, the Meiji Shrine proved to be a great escape.
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July 13, 2008 at 9:28 pm
toranosuke
Gorgeous photos. I miss Tokyo so much!
Incidentally, while there are sites that blend Shinto and Buddhism, and it can get fairly complicated, for the most part it’s Shinto shrines (like Meiji Shrine) that have the purifying water basins, and Buddhist temples (like Sensô-ji in Asakusa) that use incense.
August 19, 2008 at 5:46 pm
An Old Shrine « Tails and Tales from Abroad
[...] The majority of buildings in Japan, even in the red light district we live near, are meticulously cared for. Sidewalks are swept daily, paint is kept fresh and nary a weed can be found…and yet this building was strangely out of place. Perhaps this fact added to the haunted feel as it is rare to find an abandoned property in this area. It seemed to be forgotten by the bustling neighborhood it sits in. It was unlike any other shrine I’ve seen since we’ve come here (an example) [...]