Meiji Shrine
Hi Travelers, this is Kumi. I'm now planning to publish a Kindle book on Tokyo photo locations. In this book, a traveler/photographer, Cat, asks questions to a guide/photographer, Kumi.
C: Cat - traveler/photographer
K: Kumi - guide/photographer
* * * * * * * * *
C: Are there any places where I can see a Japanese wedding?
K: Once you go through the gate, you'll suddenly be in the woods.
C: This looks like the countryside.
K: Umm... Not really. I set a mini pod on a bench. The security guards are quite strict here so if you use a regular-sized tripod, they'll immediately come and warn you.
C: Oh, OK.
K: And you're not allowed to take photos of the main hall after you go up the stairs.
C: OK. I'll remember that. What should I do at the main hall?
K: Put in a coin in an offertory box, bow twice, clap twice, make a wish, and bow once. You can copy what other people are doing.
C: Yeah, but I might go there right before closing time so there may not be anyone.
K: Hahaha. Good point! By the way, look at the trees on the left. They may look like just one tree, but...
C: But?
C: That's so sweet.
K: In the precinct, you'll see these wooden tablets, too.
C: What are these?
K: They are called "ema." People buy a tablet, write down some wishes, and hang it there. For people's privacy, you should take photos from the distance even though you might find some funny wishes and want to post them on facebook.
C: Can I write in English?
K: I see various languages so it should be fine.
K: Oh, I almost forgot. This is where you might see some weddings on weekends. A lot of tourists take photos and the security guards tell you where you can stand.
C: So it's okay to take photos, right?
K: People who don't want to be photographed won't get married here.
C: True.
K: In November, you might see some small kids wearing kimono. This is called Shichi-go-san, meaning 7-5-3. When children become a certain age, parents take to a shrine to celebrate their growth. 3 and 7 years old girls and 3 and 5 years old boys. This tradition started a long time ago when the mortality rate was much higher. Now the rate is much lower, but a lot of families still think much of this beautiful tradition.
C: Is it rude if I ask whether I can take their photos?
K: That's a nice attitude. In fact, I asked many times and all of them said OK. Even if you don't speak Japanese, you can show your camera and say "Photo, OK?" then you can see their reactions.
C: Right. How do you say "Can I take your photos?" in Japanese?
K: "Shashin iidesuka?" is a very simple expression. "Shashin" means "photo" and "iidesuka" means "OK."
C: Shashin iidesuka... Hmm... I'll practice this phrase.
K: After spending some time in this area, you could go back in the same direction, but I'd recommend going out from the east side of the gate which is close to the ema tablets. You'll see something very unique right after the gate.
C: What is it?
K: I would say this is something like "a spiritual car wash."
C: What!? A car wash?
K: When people buy a new car, they bring it to a shrine for purification so that they won't have car accidents.
C: Seriously!? How much does it cost?
K: You can decide how much you pay but it should be more than 5,000 yen which is about 50 USD.
C: If you can avoid car accidents by paying 50 USD, that's very cheap!
K: I suppose so. Anyway, after this car purification place, please don't miss this sign.
K: If you go right, you can go back to Harajuku or Meiji-jingu station. If you go left, you'll go to Yoyogi station. If you go back to Harajuku direction, you'll see the sake barrels again.
C: Are there any shops here?
K: There are a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a food court if you turn left after the sake barrels. Also, after the first torii gate, there is a cafe.
C: What time does the shrine close?
K: It depends on the seasons. So you should check out the website.
http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/sanpai/index.html#timetable
The latest is at 6:30pm in June and the earliest is at 4:00pm in December.
C: What will happen if I stay after the closing time.
K: The gate will be closed but the security guard will let you go through the small door.
C: That's good to know.
K: Oh, don't try to stay too long!
C: Cat - traveler/photographer
K: Kumi - guide/photographer
* * * * * * * * *
C: Are there any places where I can see a Japanese wedding?
K: if it's on Saturday or Sunday, it is highly likely that you see some weddings at Meiji Shrine.
C: Tell me more about the shrine.
K: OK. When I go there, I usually get off at Harajuku or Meiji-jingu-mae station and then come to this torii gate.
K: Once you go through the gate, you'll suddenly be in the woods.
K: It's really relaxing here. Surprisingly, there weren't any trees here a century ago. The photos on National Geographic's website show you what it was like and how it looks now.
https://natgeo.nikkeibp.co.jp/nng/article/20110722/278551/
C: People planted trees here?
K: Yes. 110,000 volunteers planted trees for Emperor Meiji who passed away in 1912. Meiji Shrine was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
C: Interesting.
K: After some walk in the woods, you'll see these sake barrels. Sake was donated by various sake companies and the sake names on the barrels work as advertisement.
C: Nice! The barrels have sake in them?
K: No. They are empty. The shrine uses sake for rituals and then display the empty barrels.
C: So, no chances for sake tasting here.
K: Unfortunately, not. You'll see wine barrels, too. It is said that Emperor Meiji loved wine. He appreciated foreign cultures and modernized Japan.
C: But these barrels are also empty, right?
K: Right. LOL
K: If you have time, you could stop by the garden called Gyoen. Irises are popular here.
C: Lovely! What month is it?
K: June. If you don't go into the garden and keep walking, you'll come to this second torii gate. This is one of the biggest trii gates in Japan.
C: Oh, yeah. I can tell the size because people are so small in the photo.
K: Right. Also, you can tell how tall the trees are.
C: True.
K: After the second gate, you'll see the third one. This was rebuilt in 2016.
C: Uh, that's why it looks very different from others.
K: Right before the gate, you'll see the purification fountain. What you should do is the same as at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. This is the same YouTube video I showed you earlier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZRDGlQ8ksU
C: I remember that. "Wash your left hand, right hand, rinse your mouth, wash your left hand again, and clean the ladle," right?
K: Right.
K: After the trii gate, you'll see this tower gate.
K: This is the same gate from the other side.
C: Wait! I'm now confused. Isn't Meiji Shrine a very popular spot? Why is the precinct so empty?
K: Hahaha. Good question. It was late afternoon right before the closing time and I did long exposure.
C: That explains!
K: Yet, there were still some visitors around the main hall, so some people who didn't move were captured in the photo.
https://natgeo.nikkeibp.co.jp/nng/article/20110722/278551/
C: People planted trees here?
K: Yes. 110,000 volunteers planted trees for Emperor Meiji who passed away in 1912. Meiji Shrine was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
C: Interesting.
K: After some walk in the woods, you'll see these sake barrels. Sake was donated by various sake companies and the sake names on the barrels work as advertisement.
C: Nice! The barrels have sake in them?
K: No. They are empty. The shrine uses sake for rituals and then display the empty barrels.
C: So, no chances for sake tasting here.
K: Unfortunately, not. You'll see wine barrels, too. It is said that Emperor Meiji loved wine. He appreciated foreign cultures and modernized Japan.
C: But these barrels are also empty, right?
K: Right. LOL
K: If you have time, you could stop by the garden called Gyoen. Irises are popular here.
C: Lovely! What month is it?
K: June. If you don't go into the garden and keep walking, you'll come to this second torii gate. This is one of the biggest trii gates in Japan.
C: Oh, yeah. I can tell the size because people are so small in the photo.
K: Right. Also, you can tell how tall the trees are.
C: True.
K: After the second gate, you'll see the third one. This was rebuilt in 2016.
C: Uh, that's why it looks very different from others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZRDGlQ8ksU
C: I remember that. "Wash your left hand, right hand, rinse your mouth, wash your left hand again, and clean the ladle," right?
K: Right.
K: This is the same gate from the other side.
C: Wait! I'm now confused. Isn't Meiji Shrine a very popular spot? Why is the precinct so empty?
K: Hahaha. Good question. It was late afternoon right before the closing time and I did long exposure.
C: That explains!
K: Yet, there were still some visitors around the main hall, so some people who didn't move were captured in the photo.
C: I see. So you can use a tripod here, right?
K: Umm... Not really. I set a mini pod on a bench. The security guards are quite strict here so if you use a regular-sized tripod, they'll immediately come and warn you.
C: Oh, OK.
K: And you're not allowed to take photos of the main hall after you go up the stairs.
C: OK. I'll remember that. What should I do at the main hall?
K: Put in a coin in an offertory box, bow twice, clap twice, make a wish, and bow once. You can copy what other people are doing.
C: Yeah, but I might go there right before closing time so there may not be anyone.
K: Hahaha. Good point! By the way, look at the trees on the left. They may look like just one tree, but...
C: But?
K: There are actually two trees. They are considered as a couple and people come to the front of the trees, offer a coin, and wish for a good relationship.
C: That's so sweet.
K: In the precinct, you'll see these wooden tablets, too.
C: What are these?
K: They are called "ema." People buy a tablet, write down some wishes, and hang it there. For people's privacy, you should take photos from the distance even though you might find some funny wishes and want to post them on facebook.
C: Can I write in English?
K: I see various languages so it should be fine.
K: Oh, I almost forgot. This is where you might see some weddings on weekends. A lot of tourists take photos and the security guards tell you where you can stand.
C: So it's okay to take photos, right?
K: People who don't want to be photographed won't get married here.
C: True.
K: In November, you might see some small kids wearing kimono. This is called Shichi-go-san, meaning 7-5-3. When children become a certain age, parents take to a shrine to celebrate their growth. 3 and 7 years old girls and 3 and 5 years old boys. This tradition started a long time ago when the mortality rate was much higher. Now the rate is much lower, but a lot of families still think much of this beautiful tradition.
C: Is it rude if I ask whether I can take their photos?
K: That's a nice attitude. In fact, I asked many times and all of them said OK. Even if you don't speak Japanese, you can show your camera and say "Photo, OK?" then you can see their reactions.
C: Right. How do you say "Can I take your photos?" in Japanese?
K: "Shashin iidesuka?" is a very simple expression. "Shashin" means "photo" and "iidesuka" means "OK."
C: Shashin iidesuka... Hmm... I'll practice this phrase.
K: After spending some time in this area, you could go back in the same direction, but I'd recommend going out from the east side of the gate which is close to the ema tablets. You'll see something very unique right after the gate.
C: What is it?
K: I would say this is something like "a spiritual car wash."
C: What!? A car wash?
K: When people buy a new car, they bring it to a shrine for purification so that they won't have car accidents.
C: Seriously!? How much does it cost?
K: You can decide how much you pay but it should be more than 5,000 yen which is about 50 USD.
C: If you can avoid car accidents by paying 50 USD, that's very cheap!
K: I suppose so. Anyway, after this car purification place, please don't miss this sign.
K: If you go right, you can go back to Harajuku or Meiji-jingu station. If you go left, you'll go to Yoyogi station. If you go back to Harajuku direction, you'll see the sake barrels again.
C: Are there any shops here?
K: There are a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a food court if you turn left after the sake barrels. Also, after the first torii gate, there is a cafe.
C: What time does the shrine close?
K: It depends on the seasons. So you should check out the website.
http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/sanpai/index.html#timetable
The latest is at 6:30pm in June and the earliest is at 4:00pm in December.
C: What will happen if I stay after the closing time.
K: The gate will be closed but the security guard will let you go through the small door.
C: That's good to know.
K: Oh, don't try to stay too long!
