While researching places to check out in Tokyo, I read somewhere that, on weekends and national holidays, you are bound to see lots of things at Meiji Shrine, such as Shinto weddings, or kids wearing their finery accompanied by their parents and grandparents. November 24 was a national holiday, so I made it a point to head to possibly the most famous shrine in Tokyo.
To get to Meiji Shrine, get off at the Harajuku Station and take the Omotesando Exit. This exit will also lead you to other prime spots such as the Yoyogi Kouen (Park), the National Yoyogi Gymnasium, and the NHK Broadcasting Center.
Upon stepping out of the exit, you will spot the infamous Takeshita Dori (Street) across the road. That’s not where I planned to go this time, so I just snapped some photos and moved on up the street, and turned right until I spotted the giant torii gate. Note the gold “circles” on the top of the gate; those are in the shape of chrysanthemums.
Meiji Jingu, or the Meiji Shrine, is where Emperor Meiji and his consort, the Empress Shoken, are enshrined. It was established on November 1, 1920 and has since then become a “shrine of national prayer for peace and prosperity”. This Emperor is known to be instrumental in Japan getting “in touch” with the West.
On the way, I already spotted ladies of all ages wearing kimonos. There were quite a lot of visitors that day because, well, it was a national holiday, after all.
Then you’ll find yourself walking between these:
On the left is the “Provenance of the Bourgogne Wine for Consecration at Meiji Jingu” area.
Emperor Meiji was a proponent of promoting modernization by embracing many features of western culture in his personal life, and among them include consuming western food and drinking wine with it. Thus, wineries of Bourgogne, France are offering barrels of wine to be consecrated at Meiji Jingu to the spirit of “world peace and amity, with the earnest prayer that France and Japan will enjoy many more fruitful years of friendship”.
On the left are “Barrels of sake wrapped in straw”.
Accordingly, these sake barrels are offered every year to the Emperor and the Empress by the Meiji Jingu Nationwide Sake Brewers Association, as well as other sake brewers around Japan. This is to show their respect to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who were said to have “led the industrial growth and modernization of Japan by encouraging various industries and supporting technological development”.
On the way to the Main Shrine Garden, you’ll find yourself passing another gate.
The Ootorii, or the Grand Shrine Gate, is the biggest wooden torii of the Myojin style in Japan, standing at 12m, with the two pillars 9.1m apart. Each pillar has a diameter of 1.2m. It is made of “Hinoki”, or Japanese cypress.
At the time, the autumn festival had the Chrysanthemum Bonkei theme, so there were tents on the right side filled with chrysanthemums in pots, or in small installations. According to a tarp in the area, the chrysanthemum flower has a long tradition in Japan, and the shape of the flower has been known to represent the Imperial Family.
On to the main shrine. Before going in, however, a little cleansing is called for, so you should proceed on the smaller structure on the left side of the gate.
The ritual cleansing of the hands and mouth is done before praying. To do this, you have to shift the dipper from one hand to the other. Start by getting water using the dipper, then rinsing your left, then your right, hand. Pour water into the palm of your left hand and use it to rinse your mouth. Next, rinse the handle of the dipper using the remaining water by holding it upright using both hands. Then, return the dipper in the position it was originally in when you took it.
The water is not for drinking, though.
Now, you’re ready to go inside the main shrine.
Spotted: a couple taking wedding photos. I wonder if these are their prenup photos….?
There were vegetable installations (ok, I didn’t know what to call them) leading up to the shrine as well as on the shaded areas on the side. Must have something to do with their labor thanksgiving holiday….? They were so pretty, but daaaaarn, I couldn’t help but go, “what a waste~”.
There was an area where you could write down your prayers, wishes, appeals, or whatnot, and give some token or an offering, often a 500 yen coin.
Put the piece of paper where you wrote your intentions and your token offering in the envelope provided, and submit it on the provided container. They will then be placed before the Shrine’s altar.
There was a list of what you could place on the form, such as World Peace, Business Prosperity, Family Health, Recovery from Illness, Marriage, Achievement of Ambitions, Entrance Examination Success, Safety in Travel, and more.
Needless to say, I wrote on one of them and submitted an offering. Haha! After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?
Or, you could try writing on the tablets instead of the paper.
I couldn’t help but check out some of the tablets. 🙂 Some were serious; others were seriously duh-what? Some were simply too funny, and others I don’t have a clue what’s written in there. 🙂
The shrine. Even the ceilings have the chrysanthemum shape.
And then I saw them. The cute, cuddly and adorable kids wearing their finest kimono!! Sooooo cute!
I also noticed how it was mostly a family affair, with the parents, grandparents, and probably even aunts and uncles.
This was particularly cute. First, the parents were taking photos of their little girl, then she wrenched the camera away from her dad and went, “Papa to Mama mo!” (Dad and Mom, too!)
And this is going to grow up to be quite a looker. Already, he’s hot. Pun intended.
Oh, and I was also able to see a Shinto wedding procession!
I was amazed at how the place still managed to evoke a sense of serenity, despite the crowd.
And on the way back out, I was slowly strolling along, because I was fascinated with this father and daughter tandem walking ahead of me. Aren’t they just precious?
On a side note, December is starting to make me feel that January to mid-April is going to be hell at work. So, I’m taking my cue from one of the tablets at the shrine…..
Til next post!
Cool! you were able to chance upon a traditional wedding ceremony! Something to put on my Japan bucket list
It’s just the procession though, and a small bit of it, not the whole thing. (I dunno if outsiders are even allowed to witness its entirety.) But it was still fascinating to see!