The Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo is one of the largest Shinto shrines in the land of the rising sun. Tokyo temples Architectural features of the building

Meji Jingu is the most significant, largest and most popular in Tokyo Shinto shrine. The Japanese come here to ask for the blessings of the gods in various life endeavors, be it a wedding, the birth of a child, business projects, or simply passing an important exam at school or university.

The souls of Emperor Meiji, who during his lifetime bore the name Mutsuhito, and his wife Empress Shoken “live” in this sanctuary.

Emperor Mutsuhito reigned in Japan from 1868-1912. History says 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 natural son of Emperor Komei, and succeeded to 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, for they belong to the entire 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 in accordance with their convictions. Oddly enough, but one of the most revered emperors in Japan, declared an absolute monarch; "great reformer"; the first ruler who cordially accepted Western civilization and radically changed the face of the country, as a person, was deeply alien to all the changes that were happening in his name.

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 watched the film “The Last Samurai” probably remembers the modest, silent young man - the Emperor of Japan during the Meiji reign.

The largest wooden torii in the country leads to the shrine. Sake barrels are an offering to the temple.

He was an outspoken conservative and deeply revered the traditions that had developed at court over many centuries, but it was his signature that appeared on documents that broke the centuries-old foundations of Japanese society.

Not wanting to deviate from the path of his predecessors even in small things, he was nevertheless forced to wear alien and uncomfortable clothes - all these frock coats and uniforms, sewn according to Western patterns. For the nation, he remained a living deity, whom mere mortals were forbidden to touch, so all the suits fit him baggy: the tailor could only take measurements from 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 Western-style married couple. Once he was even forced to publicly walk with her arm in arm, which was completely unacceptable according to old Japanese etiquette. It was on the anniversary of the “silver” wedding. They say that Mutsuhito was forced to give in, but after walking a few steps, he could not bear such shame and ran far away from the shame.

The South Gate is located opposite the main pavilion

At his core, a peaceful person, but it was under Mutsuhito that Japan fought with Korea, China, and then with Russia.

We cannot know how consciously Matsuhito played his role 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 suited his taste. On the path leading to the Meiji Shrine, there are barrels of red Burgundy wines: this is how the Western world expressed its gratitude to the first “Westernized” 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 prohibiting the installation of electricity in his palace: until his death, the palace was illuminated only by candles. They say the “great reformer” was so far from civilization that at first he mistook 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 building was destroyed during the bombing of World War II: the Americans viewed Emperor Meiji as a symbol of militaristic Japan, and targeted 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 plant species have been collected on an area of more than 700,000 sq.m.

Temple sanctuary courtyard

In the guidebook, 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 have serious intentions of receiving divine support, your appearance and clothing must match. The Japanese follow this clause only on special occasions, crowds local residents roam here with a noisy, cheerful din. Most of them are wearing jeans or even shorts. Cheerful, dressed-up young people often come here during Sunday costume parties taking place nearby.

2. Before entering the inner area, you must rinse your hands and mouth in the sacred fountain. This custom is characteristic of all Japanese temples: the rite of purification is the main action in Shintoism.

3. You go to the main building and, if you wish, you can give the gods a few 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 their sacred slumber, paying attention to you.

Sacred dancing during the annual festival

That's it, consider your mission accomplished: the gods have heard you. Isn’t it true, it’s hard to think of a simpler way to pray. To prevent the spirits from forgetting your request, you can contact them in writing using a special wooden “ema” sign. Such signs are hung here on boards installed around a luxurious tree. At the end of the year, these “petitions” will be burned on a sacred fire, and all requests will go to heaven to the gods along with the smoke.

People are also happy to buy amulets that provide protection and favor in various situations: you can buy an amulet against the evil eye, for family well-being, for the successful completion of childbirth, for successful studies, safe driving... in general, there would be a problem, but there will be an amulet .

One of the most popular types of fortune telling on the temple grounds is fortune telling based on the waka verses left to us by the emperor and his wife. Matsuhito created about 100 thousand creations during his life, the empress - 30 thousand. All of them are written as an edification to the living.

Here are some of them:

Moon

Profound changes
are happening
Because there are so many
of people
Left this world
Only the moon in autumn
night
Always remains the same

Random thought

Understand life
Seeing like a stone
Washed out by the rain
Don't cling to illusion
That nothing changes

Random thought

I don't need
Anger at the heavens
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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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 short; it is 90 years old this year, an “infant” age for the temple. The decision to create this shrine 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 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. For historically shortest time the country managed to get rid of medieval remnants and adopt positive experience 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 greeted the decision to create 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 spirits of the imperial couple. The former estate of Ii became the property of the imperial house. Both Emperor Meiji himself and his wife visited here more than once. A tea house was built for them on the shore of the pond, as well as a platform for fishing. The Inner Garden housed the main temple building and the treasure repository (personal belongings of the Meiji imperial couple). The sanctuary is built from Japanese cypress wood, which is resistant to moisture. That's why they didn't even paint the walls. The roof of the temple is covered with copper sheets. Having acquired a green patina over time when exposed to air, they helped the sanctuary blend seamlessly into the greenery of the surrounding park. As is typical for any Shinto shrine, the shrine can only be accessed through the sacred torii gate. To build the Meiji Jingu Gate, trunks of huge 1,500-year-old cypress trees that grew on Mount Ari were brought from Taiwan (at that time it was part of the Japanese Empire). These trunks were almost 4 m in girth. The largest gates in the country, 12 m high, were erected from them, separating the inner, sacred zone of the sanctuary from the outer, secular one. And on the territory of Gaien, a Memorial Art Gallery was erected, which houses 80 paintings depicting the stages of the life of Emperor Meiji, the Memorial Hall, now used for wedding ceremonies according to the Shinto rite, and the National Stadium. No matter how large in scale they were construction works, the main efforts had to be spent on creating a temple park. A real forest of 120 thousand trees grew around the temple on 8.3 hectares of land. Since seedlings were sent in a variety of varieties and varieties, the surroundings of Meiji Jingu began to somewhat resemble Botanical Garden with a magnificent selection of 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, revealing to the leisurely pedestrian almost at every step more and more new views, often reflected in the mirrors of lakes. Surprisingly, Meiji Jingu is visited daily by thousands of believers, pilgrims, and tourists, but in the park surrounding it you can always find solitude and peace, which is not disturbed even by the sounds of the surrounding metropolis, which are unable to break through the dense foliage. According to the season, the park is decorated with flower meadows - azaleas, irises, roses, water lilies, and wisteria. The history of Meiji Jingu is short, but this did not save the temple from turmoil. IN Last year During World War II, American bombers used incendiary bombs to destroy the sanctuary. 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), 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 sign for 500 yen, write a wish on its back, hang the sign on any tree branch or bush (all plants in Gaien and Naien are considered sacred), and the prayer is guaranteed to reach the divine

Address: 1-1, Kamizono-chō Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Tokyo 151-0053
Telephone: +81 3379-5511
Official site: www.meijijingu.or.jp
Date of foundation: 1920
Area of the sanctuary: 708200 sq. m
Operating mode: 06:20-16:00 (November-February), 05:00-18:00 (March-October)
Entry fee: for free

Each cultural sector necessarily bears its imprint. Japanese temples are no exception; they are designed to preserve the country's religious traditions. In addition, temples are objects of sacred architecture, which the Japanese treat with special reverence. The largest and most popular sacred place in is the Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine. Townspeople turn here for the blessing of the gods in various life endeavors.

History of the shrine

Meiji Jingu Shrine, located in the Shibuya district, in the city's Eegi Park, is a kind of tomb for Emperor Mutsuhito and his wife, Empress Shoken. Upon ascending the throne, Mutsuhito took his middle name Meiji, which means “enlightened reign.” During the reign of the monarch, Japan retreated from self-isolation and became a country open to the outside world.

After the death of the imperial couple, Japan arose social movement for the creation of the temple. The shrine was built in 1920, but the temple was destroyed during World War II. In 1958, thanks to the help of many Japanese, the Meiji Shrine was completely restored. Currently, it is extremely popular among believers and is considered a religious symbol of Tokyo.

Architectural features the buildings

The territory of the sanctuary, consisting of places of worship, gardens and forests, covers an area of more than 700 thousand square meters. m. The building itself is a typical example of Japanese temple architecture. The main hall, in which prayers are read for the imperial couple, was built in the Nagarezukuri style from cypress wood. The treasury museum is made of stone in the Azekurazukuri style. There are items here from the reign of Mutsuhito.

The Meiji Shrine building is surrounded amazing garden, in which many varieties of shrubs and trees grow. Almost every tree was planted by local Japanese as a sign of respect to the emperor. The external garden is used as a venue for sporting events. It is also home to the Meiji Memorial Hall, which houses more than 80 murals commemorating the life of the emperor.

How to get to Meiji Shrine?

Anyone can visit this unique attraction. The most convenient way to get to the shrine grounds is to take the JR Yamanote subway line and get off at Harajuku Station. You can use ground. The closest stop in this case will be Ngubashi Station.

Emperor Meiji was known for his love of writing waka. After himself, he left more than 100 thousand poems for the Japanese people. His wife, Empress Shoken, also wrote poetry in this genre. She has about 30 thousand poetic works to her credit.

Features of Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine is a relatively new place of worship. It was created in 1920 according to the concept of wakonesai (the soul of the Japanese and the talent of the Western man). Therefore, unusual omikuji are not the only feature of the temple.

According to Miki Fukutoku, most people tend to think that the temple is only the main shrine. In fact, it, with its internal and external parts, is something big. The temple, located in the inner garden, is a symbol of the Japanese soul. Here you worship and show your respect to the spirits. But the outer garden of the temple is designed in a pro-Western style. There is an art gallery containing 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 trends.

The Treasure Museum, located in Gaien Gardens, vividly illustrates the fusion of Japanese and Western flavors. The architectural design of the building is reminiscent of Sosoin, a treasury famous temple in the prefecture. However, the Meiji Treasure Museum, unlike the temple, is made not of wood, but of concrete.

Meiji Shrine (naien), view from above

The sanctuary has three main parts:

Naien (inner part), the place where the sanctuary buildings are located,
Gaien (outer area), home to a 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 The forest area is about seven hundred square meters. About 170 thousand trees grow here, consisting of 245 different types. This landscape was designed and created by Seiroku Honda, as well as his assistants Takanori Hongo and Keiji Uehara, who boldly 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.

Forest of Meiji Shrine

« In 2011, in preparation for the temple's centenary, 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 that it will remain so", said Miki Fukutoku.

Such richness of nature attracts to this place more tourists than believers. In addition to plants, you can also find rare birds here, which often fly to the forest. This place is home to the endangered Japanese golden orchid and many others rare species plants.

The forest, which became the wonderful brainchild of Honda, Hongo and Uehara, will delight tourists and locals for many years to come. Fukutoku explained: “ According to experts, the trees did not even live half their life. The thing is that camphor trees can live from 300 to 400 years. That is why not only our grandchildren will be able to come here, but also great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren!»

According to Fukutoku, despite all these attractions, the number of foreign tourists is increasing, but not so rapidly. Their steady increase is expected in the future, because the Meiji Shrine is The best way get acquainted with Japanese culture.

Fukutoku added proudly: “ Of course, 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 such a guest as 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».

Celebrations and everyday life of the Meiji Shrine

The temple's most important festival is Reisai (a major autumn festival), which takes place on November 3 in memory of Emperor Meiji. Ambassadors from different countries who can enjoy traditional Japanese performances. Such a holiday is a harbinger of the upcoming hectic period of New Year's days. Of the ten million annual visitors, three million visit the temple during this period. Therefore, Reisai and the subsequent New Year's days are an important time for all people who, in one way or another, are involved in the Meiji Shrine.

Harajuku-guchi - entrance to Meiji Shrine

There are three entrances to the temple:

Harajuku-guchi,
Yoyogi-guchi
Sangubashi-guchi.

As a rule, the entrance from Harajuku is always open, but when the number of visitors increases significantly, the remaining entrances are opened. As explained by Miki Fukutoku, the use of Harajuku-guchi as the main entrance is justified. Entering through this gate, it is easier for the visitor to navigate and get to the temple. In addition, with the opening of Harajuku Station, most tourists and believers come to the Harajuku-guchi entrance. That 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 most big gate Meiji Shrine.

In 2020, the sanctuary will celebrate its centenary. Therefore, serious restoration work is planned at the Meiji Shrine, thanks to which the shrine will noticeably transform and attract more attention. more tourists.

The main work will consist of restoration of the main building of the temple. During heavy rainfall, the roof periodically leaks, so repairs will begin from this part of the shrine. But this is not the main reason why the administration decided to start preparations from here. It is generally accepted that the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are located in the main building. This is the most important part of the Meiji Shrine.

Based on materials from online publications.