Meiji Jingu Shrine, Harajuku

In February of this year, I visited Tokyo, Japan, with my dad. Our goal was skiing in Hokkaido, but we took a few days in Tokyo to go have fun and take in the sights and sounds. One of the more memorable locations is the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Harajuku. Literally right around the corner from the Harajuku station on the Yamanote Line, it's a must-visit locale. Seriously.

The entrance to the shrine is marked by this gigantic Torii gate. The posts are about 4.5' (150cm) in diameter, and the whole thing is so tall a coach bus can fit under it with plenty of room to spare. The trail ahead leads down and around a ways, and eventually reaches the entrance of the shrine.

The path is lined with these lanterns, but I'm not sure if they're functional or just for show. I've only been here during the daylight, so I couldn't tell you.

Partway along the path, there's these casks that used to hold rice wine in them. They're just sitting here, arranged all neatly, just asking for a photo like this. I actually used this as my desktop wallpaper for some time. It's really, really impressive, and it's fun to just take it all in.

The shrine itself has this huge courtyard to it, with the holiest area towards the back. Photography is not permitted there, as people will pray to their ancestors back there. To the left are a pair of camphor trees, tied together with rope. At the time we were there, the air was about 45°F (8°C), and not too much of a breeze. Then again, you had all these trees blocking everything!

This Tea House was originally built in 1900, as a gift from the Emperor Meiji to his wife. It was burned down due to damage during the war, and was rebuilt in painstaking detail to re-capture the original look. It's off limits to the public for obvious reasons, but the garden surrounding it...

...was not! They had bushes, shrubs, and bonsai everywhere! Even in February, which you would think would be drab and boring, was actually quite beautiful. Granted, the lilies in the pond weren't blooming, but the area was quite nice.

This little guy sat down on my knee, looking for food that I didn't have for him. He jumped from one knee to the other, before flying off.

Thankfully, this officer was a bro and had seed for the birds. He was also kind enough to let me take his picture. Talk about a nice guy!

So yeah, if you get the chance to visit Tokyo, definitely stop by the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Harajuku. It's a total anachronism in Tokyo, a forest surrounded by urban sprawl, but it is beautiful and I love it!