Page 100 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

98  T OK Y O AREA B Y AREA

1975 of huge logs a hall built in 1993 for sacred
that came from a music and dance.
1,500-year-old To reach the Treasure
Japanese cypress Museum, either return to the
on Mount Tandai Otorii and turn left, following
in Taiwan. A short the signs, or walk through the
distance beyond the woods to the left of the shrine.
gate, on the left, is Lining the walls of the single
the entrance to the high-vaulted room of the
One of the many stalls selling good-luck charms at the Nai-en garden, a Treasure Museum are portraits
Meiji Shrine favorite of the Meiji of every emperor going back
imperial couple. It is more than 1,000 years. The
5 Meiji Shrine said that the Emperor Meiji objects on display change
designed it him self for his
Meiji Shrine regularly; watch for the
empress. Inside there is a gorgeous kimonos worn
Map 1 B3. Tel (03) 3379-5511. teahouse over looking a pond by Emperor Meiji and the
£ Harajuku stn, Yamanote line. stocked with water lilies and empress for court functions.
Treasure Museum Annex: Open 9am–
4pm daily. ∑ meijijingu.or.jp/ carp. To the right of the pond,
english Treasure Museum: 9am–4pm a path leads to the beautiful
Sat, Sun, & public hols. & Nai-en Minami-ike Shobuda (iris
garden: Open dawn–dusk daily (times garden), at its peak in June, and
vary seasonally). & _ Spring Festival containing over 150 species.
(May 2–3), Fall Festival (Nov 1–3). Past the entrance to Nai-en,
the road turns to the right and
The most important shinto enters the main shrine area, set
shrine in Tokyo, Meiji Jingu in the middle of a grove of
(imperial shrine) dates from cedars. Another large wooden Minami Shinmon gateway through a
1920. Emperor Meiji (1852– torii leads to the outer gate wooden torii, Meiji Shrine
1912) and his wife, Empress (Minami Shinmon) through
Shoken, are enshrined here. which is a spacious outer 6 Yoyogi Park
A focal point for right-wing courtyard. A second closed-off
militarists during Japan’s hall (Gehaiden), straight ahead, Yoyogi Park
colonial expansion prior to separates the public from the
World War II, the shrine was inner courtyard and the shrine. Map 1 A4, 1 B4. £ Harajuku stn,
Yamanote line.
destroyed by Allied aerial The simple shrine buildings are
bombardment in 1945 but made of unadorned aging Kenzo Tange’s two Olympic
rebuilt with private dona tions wood in deep hues of brown; Stadiums, the landmark
in 1958. During the New Year the roof is copper, now oxi dized structures in Yoyogi Park,
holidays it is the most heavily bright green. Gracefully curving, were completed in 1964 for
visited place in Japan, with over the roof is in the Shinto style of the Tokyo Olympics. They have
3 million people worship ing architecture known as shimmei, been proposed as handball
here and buying good-luck used for imperial shrines. venues for the upcoming 2020
charms for the year ahead. Around the other three sides Tokyo Olympics. The impressive
A wide graveled road under of the outer courtyard are curves of the shell-like struc-
a huge torii (gate) and shaded booths selling charms and tures are achieved with the
by cedars leads into the shrine prophecies. Through a gateway use of steel suspension cables.
grounds. On the right is an to the right is the Kaguraden, For almost three decades the
abandoned entrance to the JR park filled with a fantastic array
Harajuku station. Just beyond is of performers and bands every
a small entrance still used by Sunday. These events were
the emperor when he visits for
official functions by train. Next
on the right is a com plex with a
café and restau rant, and the
Treasure Museum Annex. The
annex holds changing exhi-
bitions of the royal couple’s
artifacts, including clothes,
lacquer ware, and furniture.
Tickets for the Treasure Museum
Annex are also valid for the
main Treasure Museum. A
left turn takes you under the
massive Otorii (gate), built in The main Olympic Stadium in Yoyogi Park
For hotels and restaurants see p302 and pp324–6

098-099_EW_Japan.indd 98 08/08/16 3:06 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm