Tokyo | Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine located in Shibuya, Tokyo, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. It is one of Japan's most significant and visited shrines, attracting millions of visitors each year, especially during the New Year's celebrations, known as "hatsumode."

The shrine was completed in 1920, eight years after Emperor Meiji's death, as a place to enshrine his spirit along with that of Empress Shōken. It was built as a result of a nationwide fundraising effort, demonstrating the deep respect and reverence the Japanese people held for the imperial couple.

The shrine complex is composed of several key structures, including the main shrine (Honden), offering hall (Heiden), and the treasure house (Homotsuden). The architecture follows the traditional Shinto style, using mainly natural materials like cypress wood and copper.

Visitors enter the shrine through a massive wooden torii gate, one of the largest in Japan, symbolizing the transition from the mundane to the sacred.