Religious site · Yoyogi, Shibuya City, Tokyo

Meiji Jingu

Forest Shinto shrine honouring Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken beside Harajuku

Ambient sound · similar settingHwamei song in hillside forest at morning

Photo: Samuel Malmstrom (@samuelmalm) / Unsplash

Discover Meiji Jingu

Only a minute from the bustle of Harajuku Station, Meiji Jingu feels like another world. Broad gravel paths lead beneath massive wooden torii and through a dense forest, muffling the city until all you hear are footsteps and birds. At the end of the approach, the shrine buildings surround a wide courtyard shaded by two large trees.

This is a Shinto shrine, not a Buddhist temple, and visitors are welcome to take part in its simple rituals: purifying hands and mouth at the water basin, then offering a prayer of two bows, two claps and one more bow. On weekends you may glimpse a traditional wedding procession crossing the courtyard. With free entry and generous opening hours, it is one of the easiest and most rewarding cultural visits in Tokyo.

Don’t miss

01The great wooden torii gates along the forest approach
02The main shrine buildings around a broad courtyard shaded by two large old trees
03The planted forest of around 100,000 donated trees, a calm green space in central Tokyo
04Meiji Jingu Gyoen, the inner garden, noted for its irises in June
05Meiji Jingu Museum, displaying treasures associated with the shrine
06Traditional Shinto weddings, often seen on Sunday mornings

History & culture

The story of Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu was established to honour Emperor Meiji (1852 to 1912) and Empress Shoken (1850 to 1914), who presided over Japan's rapid modernisation from the late 19th century. The shrine precinct was completed in 1920. Its forest, now about 70 hectares, was created by planting around 100,000 trees donated from all over Japan, with young volunteers helping in the work.

Air raids during the Second World War destroyed most of the shrine buildings in 1945, though the forest survived. Thanks to public support, the shrine was rebuilt and completed in 1958. In 2020 Meiji Jingu marked its 100th anniversary.

Local life & traditions

Meiji Jingu is one of Tokyo's most important shrines for Japanese people. At New Year huge crowds come for hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, and through the year families bring children for blessings, couples marry in traditional ceremonies, and people come to pray for success or good health. The forest itself is cherished as a place of quiet in the heart of the city, and the shrine asks visitors to keep to the paths and leave every plant and creature undisturbed.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Enter from the Harajuku side and allow time for the walk: the shrine notes that it takes at least another ten minutes from the entrance to the main buildings. Bow lightly as you pass beneath each torii, then purify yourself at the temizuya: rinse your hands, pour water into a cupped hand to rinse your mouth, and rinse your hands again. At the main sanctuary, you may place a coin in the offertory box, bow twice, clap twice and bow once more.

Afterwards, explore the inner garden (in June the irises are a highlight), visit the museum, or write a wish on an ema wooden plaque. Meiji Jingu sits beside Yoyogi Park, so it combines naturally with a stroll there or along the shopping streets of Harajuku and Omotesando.

When to go

The shrine is pleasant all year. Spring and autumn offer comfortable walking weather; June brings irises to the inner garden and the forest is lush in early summer, though the rainy season can be wet. Early morning, soon after opening, is the most peaceful time. Expect very large crowds over the first days of January, when special routes and times apply.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Opening hours: Open every day from sunrise to sunset, with times changing monthly (for example, 5:40 to 16:40 in October and 6:40 to 16:00 in December). Some facilities in the grounds keep shorter hours, mainly 9:00 to 16:00. Source: meijijingu.or.jp ↗
Admission: Free entry to the shrine. Admission (as published, Oct 2026): Meiji Jingu Gyoen 500 yen; Meiji Jingu Museum 500 yen. Source: meijijingu.or.jp ↗
Address: 1-1 Yoyogi Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8557 Source: meijijingu.or.jp ↗
Nearest station: Harajuku Station, about 1 minute's walk to the shrine entrance; allow at least 10 more minutes on foot to reach the main buildings Source: gotokyo.org ↗
Photography rules: No photos or videos at the main sanctuary where people pray; promotional photography and videos need permission; drones are prohibited Source: meijijingu.or.jp ↗
Purification and prayer: Temizu: rinse hands, rinse mouth from a cupped hand, rinse hands again. Sampai: optional coin offering, two bows, two claps, one bow. Source: meijijingu.or.jp ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Remember this is a Shinto shrine: the two-bows, two-claps, one-bow prayer applies here, unlike at Buddhist temples such as Senso-ji.
Eating, drinking and smoking are allowed only in designated areas, and running or sports are not permitted in the grounds.
Wear comfortable shoes; the gravel approach is long and there is no transport inside the forest.
Wheelchairs are available at the entrance, and bicycles must be left in the parking area.
Visit early in the morning for the calmest atmosphere and softer light in the forest.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Meiji Jingu: food, markets & places to stay

Harajuku's Takeshita Street and the boutiques of Omotesando are right outside the southern entrance, and Yoyogi Park adjoins the shrine forest. For Muslim travellers, Tokyo Camii mosque with its halal market is near Yoyogi-Uehara Station on the western side of the Yoyogi area, and Shibuya PARCO, a short ride away, has a prayer room. Shinjuku and Shibuya, two of Tokyo's main hotel areas, are each one or two stops away on the JR Yamanote Line.

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Sources & verification

This guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 27 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.

About Meiji Jingu — Meiji Jingu (official)
Establishment of Meiji Jingu — Meiji Jingu (official)
Opening hours & Admission — Meiji Jingu (official)
Etiquette — Meiji Jingu (official)
Temizu & Sampai (How to pay a visit) — Meiji Jingu (official)
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) travel guide — GO TOKYO
Meiji Shrine — Wikipedia

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