It takes half an hour to get from Tokyo to Kamakura. It is here that the famous Buddhist temple Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is located. Surrounded by sakura and azalea, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu retains the ancient traditions of Japan and produces unforgettable impression (especially towards the end of spring, when trees and flowers are blooming).
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Temple begins its history in 1063. The construction was initiated by the legendary Japanese commander Yoriyoshi Minamoto. The temple is dedicated to Hachiman - a deity who personifies military affairs.
Near the temple, above one of the ponds, you can see the Drum Bridge. If you believe the legend, then a person who manages to cross this bridge will gain longevity. But this is by no means easy to do.
Coordinates: 35.32608500,139.55643400
Kotoku-in shrine
Kotoku-in Temple is famous for the Big Buddha statue located in courtyard temple.
Now this huge bronze statue is the main attraction of Kamakura. Big Buddha became a symbol of this ancient city both for foreign tourists coming here, and for any Japanese. The Japanese call him "Daibutsu". The Big Buddha is declared a National Treasure and attracts 1.2 million tourists annually.
Height of the statue with a pedestal: 13.4 m
Height of Buddha: 11.3 m
Narita-san temple complex
The Narita-san temple complex is the largest Buddhist complex in eastern Japan.
Narita-san was built in 940. Currently, the complex includes the old and new halls of the temple, a three-level Peace Pagoda and other buildings.
The central object of worship is the statue of the Buddhist deity Fudo Myo.
The temple has a picturesque Japanese landscape garden. The place is very popular with tourists. This is largely due to the proximity to international airport... It is often visited by those tourists who are limited in time between transfers, but at the same time want to get acquainted with the culture of Japan.
Coordinates: 35.78607000,140.31838400
Yakuoin Temple
Yakuoin Temple is a temple on the top of Mount Takao, where pilgrims come to pray to the mountain Shinto gods.
The temple was built in 744 and is dedicated to Buddha - the patron saint of health. Unfortunately, during its history, the temple was completely destroyed by fire several times - the most powerful were in 1504 and 1677. Despite numerous fires, the temple managed to preserve more than two and a half thousand documents that today can tell us about the history of the Middle Ages.
Visit the Mount Takao Temple for a beautiful landscape and one of the world's most revered sacred sites, which has been the center of the mountain religion for over a thousand years.
Coordinates: 35.62508800,139.24365900
Temple complex "Serebryany Bor"
Temple complex "Serebryany Bor" - temple complex, which includes one hundred and three buildings, which are located among the magnificent nature.
Two of the main temples are Shinto and one is Buddhist. Nine buildings of the complex are included in the list of Japanese national treasures.
Located one hundred twenty-five kilometers from Tokyo, the temple complex originally became a cultural and religious center. The complex was built in the 17th century as the mausoleum of Togugawa, the founder of the shogunate. The buildings are designed in a traditional Edo style.
Three figures of monkeys are one of the most famous world sights - "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I will not say anything."
The complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
Coordinates: 36.75814100,139.59913700
Dayyuinbyo temple
A short walk from the grave of Ieyasu Tokugawa in Nikko is the Daiyuinbyo Shrine with the mausoleum of his grandson Iemitsu.
Unlike Ieyasu, the grandson was not deified in the Shinto pantheon, so the mausoleum is not called a shrine. It is somewhat more modest in scale, but is made in the same gongen-zukuri style, luxuriously decorated with gold, wood carvings, and sculptural images. Although Daiyuinbyo is a Shinto shrine, the presence of gods and symbols of the Buddhist pantheon can be easily detected in it. The decor is dominated by Chinese motifs - with kirins, lions, tigers, dragons and flowers.
Coordinates: 36.75649000,139.63190500
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Meiji Jingu Shrine is the largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife.
Built in 1920, the sanctuary was destroyed during the Second World War. The restoration was completed only in 1958.
Meiji Jingu is located in Yoyogi Park. The park is planted with tall trees, which create a permanent twilight, which gives the feeling of abandonment. Under Meji Jingu there is a treasury museum, which contains various items dedicated to the rule of the imperial family.
Each visitor has the opportunity to receive omikuji - draw a leaf with a prediction from a wooden box english language... Before that, you need to flip a coin.
Coordinates: 35.67661200,139.69935200
Kantei-byo temple
Kantei-byo Temple is the central Chinese temple of the Chinatown district of Tokyo.
It was founded in 1862 by a Chinese émigré who bought a sculpture by Guan Yu and decided to found a modern temple.
Soon after its founding, the temple became the center of the religious life of the Chinese community. The temple has enough tragic story... In 1923 it was destroyed by an earthquake, during the Second World War it suffered from air attacks, and in 1981 and 1986 it was damaged by fires. However, each time the community restored its shrine. The last stage of the restoration ended only in 2000.
Coordinates: 35.69048500,139.69144800
Rinno-ji temple
Rinno-ji Temple is the largest and oldest Buddhist temple in Nikko.
Initially, it determined the directions of Nikko's religious activities. The main abbot of the temple was the prince of the imperial family, as we can see from the image of the imperial coat of arms on the main gate.
Inside the temple are three large Buddha statues, which are located in the very large hall Sambutsudo (Hall of the Three Buddhas). This hall is the largest temple building in Nikko. Its height is twenty-five meters, its length is thirty-two.
The original hall was destroyed in 1868 after the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, but was rebuilt in 1887 after extensive restoration work.
Coordinates: 36.75332700,139.60094000
Ise shrine
The main religion of Japan is Shinto, where various mythical spirits and deities are used as objects of worship. The main shrine of Shinto is the Ise Shrine, which can be found in Mie Prefecture. The temple is dedicated to Amaterasu - the sun goddess and the progenitor of the imperial family. This temple has a special meaning in the culture of the Japanese, which is why they prefer to call it simply Jingu.
Ise Shrine is divided into two complete complexes. The first of these is the Naiku Shrine, which is entirely dedicated to Amaterasu. The second complex is the Geku shrine, where the main object of worship is the mythical cook Amaterasu and also the Goddess of Food - Toyuke.
Besides historical monumentsIse Shrine boasts gardens, vegetable gardens, salt mills and even its own sake production.
Coordinates: 34.45501400,136.72579500
Futarasan shrine
Futarasan Temple is part of the Toshogu Temple Complex. It was erected in honor of the deity of Mount Nan-Tai. This is the oldest building in Nikko, built in 1617.
For many years, the temple belonged to the Shugendo sect, which was looking for ways to save the soul in the asceticism of mountain hermits. Over time, the temple expanded, and its individual structures were scattered around the vicinity of Nikko. On the days of the Yayoi Matsuri festival (April 13-17), Kagura ritual dance performances are held on the territory of Futarasan Jinja. But if desired, any pilgrim can order the performance of the kagura dance on other days for a moderate fee. The Futarasan Shrine reflects the idea of \u200b\u200bShinto worship of nature.
Coordinates: 36.75851900,139.59648400
TEMPLE IN HONOR OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST
In 1871, Archimandrite Nikolai moved to Tokyo. On the outskirts of Surugadai, in a block reserved for foreigners, he acquires a piece of land and begins construction of a mission building with a small house temple attached to him. But, as the mission is being built, the number of parishioners of the church increases significantly, and by the end of the 70s the question arises of the need to build a large Orthodox church. On the purchased plot of land on Surugadai Hill, where the Orthodox mission was located, there was not enough space for such a grandiose cathedral. I had to make an artificial embankment of a sufficiently high height, reinforcing it with pine piles. All the work was carried out with great care due to the difficult seismic conditions and, as Vladyka Nikolai himself said, "there was nothing designed for luxury." The cathedral was laid in March 1884 and its construction lasted 7 years.
Zoya Temple
Zojoji Temple - there are rows of small statues of Yizobosatsu (guardian of the souls of stillborn children), some dressed in baby clothes and holding turntables. One of the strangest and most touching sights in the city.
Meiji Shrine
The largest Shinto shrine in Japan is located in Tokyo. The Meiji Jingu Shrine covers an area of \u200b\u200b700 thousand square meters and is the center of pilgrimage for all Shinto believers. The peak of visits to the Meiji Temple falls on New Year's holidays.
Meiji Jingu Temple is relatively young - its construction began in 1915, three years after the death of Emperor Meiji. The name of this man is inscribed in golden letters in the history of Japan, it was thanks to him that Japan got out of the deep Middle Ages.
The Meiji Temple was opened in 1926. Subsequently, the temple was badly damaged by American bombing during World War II. The reconstruction lasted for several years; the temple acquired its present appearance only in 1958.
Coordinates: 35.67640200,139.69930200
Buddhist Temple of the Goddess of Mercy Canon
One of the main attractions of Tokyo's Asakusa area is undoubtedly the Temple of the Goddess Kannon. The amazing temple dates back to 628.
Locals are happy to tell the legend about the appearance of the temple. Their stories tell of two fishermen brothers who once fished a statue of the goddess Kannon from a local river. Either frightened, or not knowing what to do, the brothers threw the statuette back. But it was not so - the figurine again fell on the hook. Upon learning of this, the village elder took the statuette from the brothers and put it in his house, thereby turning it into a temple. Subsequently, the makeshift temple was subject to great changes.
Today, the huge roof of the Kannon Temple is visible from anywhere in the Asakusa area. Due to its exquisite architecture, the temple is very popular among tourists.
Coordinates: 35.31300200,139.53392000
Asakusa Kannon Shrine
Asakusa Kannon Shrine, also known as Senso-ji, oldest temple, which is located in the lively area of \u200b\u200bAsakusa and dates back to the 7th century.
According to legend, the 5cm statue of the goddess Kannon, kept in the temple altar, was fished by fishermen in the waters of the Sumida River in 628. The village headman brought her to his house, which he later declared the temple of the goddess.
After fires destroyed the buildings, but not the statue itself, a magnificent temple was built on this place in 645, which was recognized even by the shoguns, the military rulers of the country.
Unfortunately, the main hall of Kannon-do, which has existed since 1651, the famous five-story pagoda and massive gate were destroyed during the Second World War. The current buildings of the temple are a reinforced concrete copy of their predecessors.
Tokyo's Yoyogi Park is home to Tokyo's most popular Shinto shrine, Meiji Jingu. The history of the existence of this Shinto shrine is relatively small, it is 90 years old this year, the age for the temple is "infant". The decision to create this sanctuary in the capital of Japan was made shortly after the death of Emperor Meiji (1852-1912) and his wife, Empress Shoken (1850-1914). The years of the reign of this imperial couple fell on the difficult years of the country's formation after the liquidation of the medieval system of military rule (shogunate) in 1868. In a historically short time, the country has managed to get rid of medieval vestiges, to adopt the positive experience of developed countries, both in the economic and social spheres. The people of Japan largely associated these changes with the efforts of Emperor Meiji. Therefore, the enthusiasm with which ordinary Japanese met the decision to establish the Meiji Jingu shrine in the capital is understandable. Emperor Meiji was buried in Kyoto, but the new shrine, in accordance with Shinto traditions, was intended to house the spirit of the imperial couple. The former estate of Ii became the property of the imperial house. Both Emperor Meiji himself and his wife have been here more than once. For them was built tea house on the shore of the pond, fishing platform. The main building of the temple and the treasure store (personal belongings of the Meiji imperial couple) were located in the Inner Garden. The sanctuary was built from moisture-resistant Japanese cypress wood. Therefore, the walls were not even covered with paint. The roof of the temple is covered with copper sheets. Having acquired a green patina on the air over time, they helped the sanctuary to organically fit into the greenery of the surrounding park. As is typical of any Shinto shrine, the only way to reach the shrine is under the sacred torii gate. For the construction of the Meiji Jingu gate, the trunks of huge 1,500-year-old cypress trees that grew on Mount Ari were brought from Taiwan (it was at that time part of the Japanese Empire). The girth of these trunks was almost 4 m. Of these, the largest gates in the country, 12 m high, were erected, separating the inner, sacred, zone of the sanctuary from the outer, mundane. And on the territory of Guyenne, a Memorial Art Gallery was erected, which houses 80 paintings depicting the stages of the life of Emperor Meiji, the Memorial Hall, which is now used for holding Shinto wedding ceremonies, and the National Stadium. No matter how large in scale they were construction works, the main effort had to be spent on the creation of the temple park. Around the temple on 8.3 hectares of land, a real forest of 120 thousand trees has grown. Since the seedlings were sent in a wide variety of varieties and varieties, the environment of Meiji Jingu began to somewhat resemble a botanical garden with a magnificent selection national flora... The construction of the sanctuary was completed in 1920, and a few years later it was surrounded by green bushes with cozy paths, opening up new and new views to the unhurried pedestrian almost at every step, often reflected in the mirrors of the lakes. Surprisingly, Meiji Jingu is visited daily by thousands of believers, pilgrims, tourists, but in the surrounding park you can always find solitude and peace, which is not disturbed even by the sounds of the surrounding metropolis, which are not able to break through the dense foliage. In season, the park is decorated with flower glades - azaleas, irises, roses, water lilies, wisterias. The history of the existence of Meiji Jingu is short, but this did not save the temple from shocks. IN last year WWII American bombers destroyed the sanctuary with incendiary bombs. Only in November 1958, through the efforts of thousands of volunteers, the temple and park were restored. This required a huge sum for those times - 600 million yen (1.67 million dollars), which was collected by subscription. The shrine is not only a tribute to Emperor Meiji. Thousands of people come here with their prayers. It is enough to buy a wooden ema plaque for 500 yen, write a wish on its reverse side, hang a plaque on any tree twig or bush (all plants in Guyenne and Nyen are considered sacred), and the prayer is guaranteed to reach the divine
Emperor Meiji was known for his love of waka writing. After himself, he left over 100 thousand poems to the Japanese people. His wife, Empress Shoken, also wrote poetry in this genre. She has about 30 thousand poetic works on her account.
Meiji Shrine Feature
Meiji Shrine is a relatively new place of worship. It was created in 1920 according to the concept of wakonesai (Japanese soul and Western man's talan). Therefore, unusual omikujis are not the only feature of the temple.
According to Miki Fukutoku, most people tend to think that the temple is just the main shrine. In fact, he, with his inner and outer parts, is something big. The temple located in the inner garden is a symbol of the Japanese soul. This is where you worship and show your reverence to the spirits. But the outer garden of the temple is made in a pro-Western style. There is an art gallery with 80 paintings. They reflect the life of Emperor Meiji, who actively maintained friendly relations with foreign countries... For example, symmetrical ginkgo trees are also Western influences.
The Treasure Museum, located in Guyenne Gardens, vividly illustrates the fusion of Japanese and Western flair. The architectural design of the building is reminiscent of Sosoin, the treasury of the famous temple in the prefecture. However, the Meiji Treasure Museum, unlike the temple, is not made of wood, but concrete.
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| Meiji shrine (nian), top view |
The sanctuary has three main parts:
- Nyan (interior), where the buildings of the sanctuary are located,
- Gayenne (outside), which houses the memorial art gallery and sports facilities, including one of the oldest baseball stadiums Meiji Jingu and the Meiji Memorial Hall and Wedding Hall.
notice, that total area forest area is about seven hundred square meters. There are about 170 thousand trees growing here, consisting of 245 different species. This landscape was designed and created by Seiroku Honda and his assistants Takanori Hongo and Keiji Uehara, who bravely refused the proposal of then Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma to use exclusively cedar in the design. Honda wanted to create an evergreen forest, but as it turned out, the local soil was not suitable for this tree.
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| Meiji Shrine Forest |
« In 2011, in preparation for the centenary of the temple, we monitored the tree species growing in the area. So, as it turned out, in the local forest there are much fewer trees alien to Japan than, say, in the parks of central Tokyo. This man-made forest was created to delight with its beauty for many centuries and, it seems, it will be so"Miki said to Fukutoku.
Such a wealth of nature attracts to this place more touriststhan believers. In addition to plants, you can also meet rare birds that often come to the forest. The site is home to the endangered Japanese Golden Orchid and many more rare species plants.
The forest, which has become a wonderful brainchild of Honda, Hongo and Uehara, will delight tourists and locals for more than one year. Fukutoku explained, “ According to experts, the trees did not live even half of their life. The thing is that camphor trees can live from 300 to 400 years. That is why not only our grandchildren, but also great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren will be able to come here!»
In Fukutoku's opinion, despite all these attractions, the number of foreign tourists is increasing, but not so rapidly. In the future, a steady increase is expected, because the Meiji Temple is the best way get to know Japanese culture.
Fukutoku proudly added, “ Of course, the shrines on the outskirts of the city may offer a more authentic atmosphere, but our temple is more accessible. We can, for example, boast of a guest like US President Barack Obama who was in the temple last year. Meiji Shrine is truly unique. Being in the center of the capital, you can not only see the shrine, but also suddenly find yourself in a real forest».
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Meiji Temple celebrations and weekdays
The most important festival of the temple is Reisai (large autumn festival), which takes place on November 3 in memory of Emperor Meiji. Ambassadors from different countrieswho can enjoy traditional Japanese performances. Such a holiday is a harbinger of the coming hectic period. new year... Of the ten million annual visitors, three million visit the temple during this period. Therefore, it is Reisai and the following New Year's days that are an important time for all people who, in one way or another, are involved in the Meiji Temple.
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| Harajuku-guchi - Meiji Temple Entrance |
There are three entrances to the temple:
- Harajuku-guchi,
- Yoyogi-guchi
- Sangubashi-guti.
As a rule, the entrance from the Harajuku side is constantly open, but when the number of visitors increases significantly, the remaining entrances are opened. As Miki Fukutoku explained, using Harajuku-guchi as the main entrance is justified. Entering through these gates, it is easier for a visitor to orientate himself and get to the temple. In addition, with the opening of Harajuku Station, most tourists and believers come to the Harajuku-guchi entrance. This is why the street adjacent to the temple is called Omotesando. Literally the name means: "omote" - front, "sando" - road, i.e. "Front road". In addition, the Harajuku-guchi gate is the largest gate of the Meiji Temple.
In 2020, during the period, the sanctuary will celebrate its centenary. Therefore, serious restoration work is planned at the Meiji Temple, thanks to which the shrine will be noticeably transformed and will attract the attention of even more tourists.
The main work will be the restoration of the main building of the temple. During heavy rainfall, the roof periodically leaks in it, so repairs will start from this part of the shrine. But this is not the main reason why the administration decided to start preparations from here. It is believed that the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are located in the main building. This is the most important part of the Meiji Temple.
Based on materials from online publications.
Meji Jingu is the largest, largest and most popular Shinto shrine in Tokyo. The Japanese come here to seek the blessings of the gods in various life endeavors, be it a wedding, the birth of a child, business projects, or just passing an important exam at school or university.
The souls of Emperor Meiji, who bore the name Mutsuhito during his lifetime, and his wife, Empress Shoken, “live” in this sanctuary.
Emperor Mutsuhito ruled in Japan from 1868-1912. History suggests that the country has never known such a powerful leap in development as during this period, when Japan from a feudal backward state turned into one of the leading world powers. Mutsuhito was the bastard son of Emperor Komei, and inherited the throne from his father at the age of 15. With his accession to the throne, a new era began, called Meiji - "enlightened rule."
They say that kings do not belong to themselves, because they belong to the whole country and history, and therefore, with all their apparent power, they often turn out to be deeply unhappy people, deprived of the right to act according to their convictions. Oddly enough, but one of the most revered emperors in Japan, declared an absolute monarch; "Great reformer"; the first ruler who warmly accepted Western civilization and radically changed the face of the country, as a person, he was deeply alien to all the changes that were happening on his behalf.
As the supreme ruler, he was present at all meetings, but never took part in discussions, he was almost always silent and only signed decrees that were written on behalf of the emperor. Anyone who has watched the film "The Last Samurai" probably remembers the modest silent young man - the emperor of Japan under the Meiji reign.
The largest wooden torii in the country lead to the sanctuary. Barrels of sake are an offering to the temple.
He was a notorious conservative and deeply respected the traditions that had developed at court over many centuries, but it is his signature that bears on documents that break the centuries-old foundations of Japanese society.
Not wanting to deviate from the path of his predecessors, even in small things, he nevertheless had to wear alien and uncomfortable clothes - all these frock coats and uniforms, sewn according to the Western pattern. For the nation, he remained a living deity, which is forbidden to be touched by mere mortals, so all the suits were baggy on him: the tailor could take measurements only at a distance, and sewed trousers and jackets "by eye".
Just like his divine ancestors, in addition to his legal wife, he had a harem of concubines, but at social events he was forced to appear with his wife and portray a happy married couple of the Western model. Once he was even forced to walk in public with her arm, which was completely unacceptable according to old Japanese etiquette. It was for the silver wedding anniversary. They say that Mutsuhito was forced to give in, but after walking a few steps, he could not stand such shame and ran away from shame.
South Gate is opposite the main pavilion
In essence, a peaceful man, but it was under Mutsuhito that Japan fought with Korea, China, and then with Russia.
We cannot know how consciously Matsuhito played his part in turning the ship of Japanese history on a new course. It is known that Mutsuhito drank a lot, and not only traditional Japanese sake, but also Western wines that came to his taste. On the path leading to the Meiji Temple, barrels of red Burgundy wines are installed: this is how the Western world expressed its gratitude to the first "pro-Western" emperor of Japan, whose spirit dwells in the temple.
It is also known that the emperor expressed his timid protest against the innovations of civilization by banning electricity in his palace: until his death, the palace was lit only with candles. They say the "great reformer" was so far from civilization that at first he took a chamber pot for something that was placed under the head at night.
Be that as it may, Emperor Mutsuhito will forever remain in the memory of the grateful Japanese. Eight years after his death, a new shrine was built in 1920, called Meiji Jingu. The temple structure was destroyed during the bombing of World War II: the Americans regarded Emperor Meiji as a symbol of militaristic Japan, and purposefully dropped bombs on this sanctuary. The restoration of the temple and the surrounding park was completed in October 1958. People from all over Japan brought trees and bushes here. As a result, 365 species of plants have been collected on the territory of more than 700,000 square meters.
Courtyard of the Temple Sanctuary
On the guide, which can be freely taken when visiting the temple, we are taught to correctly express our respect to the royal spirits:
1. First of all, if you are serious about receiving divine support, your appearance and dress must match. The Japanese follow this point only on special occasions, crowds local residents roam here with a noisy merry din. Most of them are wearing jeans or even shorts. Cheerful young people in disguise often drop in here during the Sunday fancy-dress parties taking place nearby.
2. Before setting foot in the interior, you must rinse your hands and mouth in the sacred fountain. This custom is typical for all Japanese temples: the ritual of purification is the main action in Shintoism.
3. You go to the main building and, if you wish, you can give the gods several coins by throwing them into a special box. They say that you should throw coins from afar, so that they ring, and the deities wake up from the sacred slumber, drawing attention to you.
Sacred dances during the annual festival
Everything, consider your mission accomplished: the gods have heard you. An easier way to pray is hard to come up with, isn't it? So that the perfume does not forget your request, you can address them in writing using a special wooden "Ema" plaque. Such signs are hung here on boards set around a chic tree. At the end of the year, these "petitions" will be burned at the sacred fire, and all requests will go to heaven to the gods along with the smoke.
People are also happy to buy amulets that give protection and favor in various situations: you can buy an amulet against the evil eye, for family well-being, for a safe completion of childbirth, for successful studies, safe driving ... in general, there would be a problem, but there is an amulet ...
One of the most popular types of fortune telling on the territory of the temple is fortune telling by the waka verses left to us by the emperor and his wife. Matsuhito created about 100 thousand creations in his life, the Empress - 30 thousand. They are all written as an edification to the living.
Here is some of them:
Moon
Profound changes
occur
Because there are so many
of people
Left this world
Only the moon in autumn
night
It always remains the same
Random thought
Understand life
Seeing like a stone
Washed away by the rain
Don't cling to the illusion
That nothing changes
Random thought
I don't need
Rage to heaven
Or blame
Others (for my suffering)
When I see
Your own mistakes
Random thought
So many accusations
In this world
So don't worry
About it
Too much
Your guide in Japan,
Irina
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Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine) is meiji Temple in Tokyo, one of the largest shinto shrines countries. The temple is located in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, which covers an area of \u200b\u200b700,000 square meters. This area is covered with evergreen forests, which consist of 120,000 365 trees of various types donated by people from all over Japan. Meiji Jingu is the most visited sacred monument in the world. Up to 30 million tourists visit this iconic place annually. The construction of the shrine began in 1915, and a temple was built in honor of Emperor Meiji, who died in 1912, and his wife, Empress Shoken, who died in 1914. After their death, a movement arose to create a sanctuary. The building was completed in 1920, but officially Meiji Jingu opened in 1926, and during the Great East Asian War, as the Japanese call World War II, the sanctuary was destroyed by the Americans. The renovation of the existing building, which was supported by many Japanese in Japan and abroad, was completed in 1958. Having visited this temple, every tourist realizes that only a majestic ruler was able to turn Japan into a modern state.
General form temple and park
The road to the temple itself through the territory of Tokyo Yoyogi Park takes about 15 minutes from the central entrance to the park. It is paved with gravel and surrounded by very tall trees. It is difficult for the sun's rays to break through the tops of the pines and ginkgo trees, the poem is always dusk and the impression of abandonment. The park is twilight even on hot June days, when the temperature reaches 35 degrees, which makes tourists feel chilly and insecure surrounded by huge trees a century ago. This park is covered with flowers or falling leaves all year round, which resembles an eternal autumn. The tree-lined shrine is a typical example of the unique Japanese temple architecture in the traditional nagare-zukuri style. The construction used cypress from Kiso. The garden features all the varieties of trees and shrubs that grow in Japan.
Meiji Jingu is not just a temple associated with the imperial family, it is a huge temple complex. In addition to the sanctuary itself, there is also a treasury and a palace of ceremonies. The building of the treasury museum is located in the northern part of the temple area. It is built of stone in architectural style azekura-zukuri. Various items from the reign of the imperial couple are presented here. The paths on the approaches to the temple in autumn are decorated with decorative tents with planted chrysanthemums, because this flower is a symbol of the imperial power of Japan.
The Meiji Jingu Outer Garden, located approximately 0.7 miles (1.13 km) from the Inner Garden, is world renowned as the center of Japanese sports. Its creation was completed in 1926. The Outer Garden is 77 acres (31.16 ha). At the end of an alley planted with ginkgo trees, there is Picture gallery Meiji Memorial, which contains 80 large murals illustrating the events of the life of the emperor and his wife. In the corner of the Outer Garden is the Meiji Memorial (Wedding) Hall, where one of the most important religious activities, the Shinto wedding ceremony, continues. Previously, this building was used mainly for conferences and meetings, and was used to discuss the draft Meiji Constitution.
Meiji Jingu is one of the few temples in Tokyo that offers omikuji. Having thrown a 100 yen coin, you need to pull out the pieces of fortune in English from a wooden box. Moreover, these predictions are given in a form that is not traditional for this genre. Visitors draw out poems composed by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken as divination instructions. The royal couple became famous for writing poems in the waka style. Having drawn out a white scroll, the visitor receives the poems of the empress, and on the light green scroll - the works of the emperor. The verses must be accompanied by an interpretation composed by Shinto priests.
Sakura blossoms on bare branches
People admire
Flowers, hidden from view, fall in vain.
The Hitler Youth delegation visits meiji Temple in Tokyo in September 1938 year
In the afternoon, wedding ceremonies are held in the temple almost daily. Meiji Jingu is one of the most popular and prestigious wedding temples in the country. The wedding ritual itself, during which the bride and groom take turns sip three sips of sake, after which the marriage, in fact, is considered concluded, is performed away from prying eyes. But then the wedding procession goes out to people. Slowly crossing the courtyard of the temple, led by a kannushi priest, the column poses for the admiring spectators, but the faces of the participants are full of dignity and awareness of the importance of the moment. Here you can also see miko - servants of Shinto shrines. Dressed in uniforms reminiscent of a police uniform, the temple guards freeze as the procession approaches and put their hand to the visor of their cap.
In November, the temple is filled with kids in national clothes, parents bring to the temple for blessing children who have reached three, five and seven years, respectively. The holiday is called Siti-go-san ("seven-five-three"), it can be considered a kind of birthday for all children who have reached this age in a given year. The tradition of this holiday has more than three hundred years, it is celebrated on November 15. These ages reflected the stages of growing up of children. In the Middle Ages, in aristocratic families, boys at the age of three were first put on hakama, this is a traditional men's clothing in the form of wide trousers with folds. Later, this ceremony began to be carried out at the age of five, it was at this age that the samurai introduced children to their feudal lords, introducing them into the circle of adults. For girls, the age of seven is important, since on this day for the first time they wear a hard kimono belt - obi. This ceremony, called obi-toki (belt change), symbolizes growing up, since for the first time in her life a girl dresses like an adult woman.
