Shrine

All posts tagged Shrine

Walking up through the many gates of Fushimi Inari, it is hard to imagine when the shrine was first brought to Inari mountain back in 816 A.D., let alone when it was first built in 711 A.D. Tourists and locals alike flock to the site in their multitudes, snapping photos of the picturesque scenery. Particularly during the early section of the way, it is necessary to weave a path through the many selfie-takers as one follows the trail up the mountain. As with any such endeavors, one has to have a knack for timing else risk featuring in many a family photo. But who is there to look at faces when the bold red paint stands out so strikingly against the surrounding forest?

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Yoyogi Park is a huge park in the northern part of Shibuya, home of the Meiji Shrine, as well as the location of the first powered aircraft flight in Japan (back when the place was called Yoyogi Army Parade Ground).
After WWII, during the Allied occupation of Japan, the grounds were used by U.S. officers for their military barracks. It was only after the occupation ended and the area was used for the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 that the grounds were turned into today’s park.

Barrels of sake donated every year by the brewers for the soul of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken


In 1920, after the death of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, the Meiji Shrine has been established as people “wished to commemorate their virtues and to venerate them forever” (more info).
People from all over Japan and overseas donated over 10,000 trees and voluntarily planted the forest which people can enjoy today.

Torii marking the entrance to the park and the Meiji Shrine


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