[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, with its vast grounds filled with greenery and attracting many worshippers from far and wide, making it one of Tokyo's most famous tourist destinations

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

Located where the south and north approach paths meet, the large torii gate, which can be said to be the symbol of Meiji Shrine, is the largest wooden torii gate in Japan. When you visit shrines, you will often see sake barrels offered as offerings, but at Meiji Shrine, wine barrels are offered, allowing you to enjoy a modern landscape that can only be seen here. In addition, the Imperial Gardens, which are filled with greenery, are filled with blue, purple, and white irises that bloom in June, creating a beautiful sight

The Imperial Palace is also home to Kiyomasa's Well, a famous power spot. It became famous after being featured in the media, and is such a popular spot that numbered tickets are distributed during the New Year's visit period. It is said that if you set the image as your mobile phone's wallpaper, your luck will improve. If you walk along the approach to the shrine, you will find many heart marks hidden in the main hall at the end of a bend in the road

The shrine forest, known as the Meiji Shrine Forest, is home to animals and insects no longer found in Tokyo, making it an oasis in the big city. Within the grounds of Meiji Shrine, there are a pair of camphor trees, and it is said that praying in front of these trees towards the main hall will bring you good luck in finding a partner and enjoying marital harmony. The omikuji fortune slips, which are said to be the great heart of Meiji Shrine, are not meant to tell good or bad fortune, but rather contain lessons that can serve as guidelines for life. Furthermore, the lucky wooden bell kodama, a charm made from wood cut down during the maintenance of the shrine forest, is said to have the power to bring good fortune

There is also an open cafe on the approach to Meiji Shrine where you can relax and take a break after praying. Meiji Shrine holds its annual Spring Festival from the end of April to early May. During the festival, various traditional performing arts such as Bugaku, Noh, and Kyogen are performed, allowing you to experience traditional Japanese culture

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