Meiji Shrine

Tokyo's grandest Shinto shrine, built in 1920 to commemorate the late Emperor Meiji, who oversaw Japan's rapid industrialization and rise to major world power status in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Like all of Japan's major shrines, it's large in scale but simple in structure, entered via a winding path and through a giant torii gate. On summer weekends you have a very good chance of catching a Japanese wedding in progress here; the shrine is also packed on New Year's Eve when people come here to celebrate the new year. An excellent place for those who wish to experience an oasis of tranquility among the hustle and bustle of the rest of the area. Also a popular and less controversial alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine for Japanese politicians to offer prayers at.

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