[Tokyo] Meiji Shrine has the highest number of New Year's visitors in Japan

One of Japan's most famous tourist destinations

Meiji Shrine, located in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, is famous as a power spot and is one of Tokyo's famous tourist destinations, with a vast site full of greenery and many worshipers visiting from far away.

Photo by Wei-Te Wong – Meiji Shrine (2014) / Size-adapted.

Located at the intersection of the Minami-sando and the Kita-Sando, the large torii gate is the symbol of Meiji Shrine and boasts the largest wooden torii gate in Japan. When you go to shrines, you will see sake barrels being dedicated, and Meiji Shrine has dedicated wine barrels, and you can enjoy the modern scenery that can only be seen here. In addition, the garden is filled with greenery, and in June, blue, purple, and white irises are in full bloom, creating a wonderful sight.

This garden also has Kiyomasa Well, which is famous as a power spot. It quickly became famous after being featured in the media, and is so popular that numbered tickets are distributed during the New Year's visit.It is said that if you make it the wallpaper on your mobile phone, your luck will improve. As you walk along the approach, you will find many heart marks hidden in the main shrine at the end of the bend.

The Chinju-no-Mori is known as the Meiji Shrine Forest, and is home to animals and insects that are no longer seen in Tokyo, making it an oasis in the big city. There is a couple's camphor tree in the precincts of Meiji Shrine, and it is said that if you worship from in front of this couple's camphor tree towards the worship hall, you will receive blessings for marriage and marital harmony. In addition, the Omikuji, which are said to be the great spirit of Meiji Shrine, are not meant to predict good or bad fortune, but rather contain lessons that will guide your life. The good-luck tree bell kodama, which is a lucky charm made from wood cut down during the maintenance of the shrine's sacred forest, is said to have the power to bring good luck.

There is also an open cafe on the approach to Meiji Shrine where you can relax after visiting the shrine. At Meiji Shrine, a large spring festival is held every year from the end of April to the beginning of May. During the festival period, various traditional performing arts such as Bugaku, Noh, and Kyogen are performed, so you can experience traditional Japanese culture.

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