Tôgô Jinja

in

Tôgô Jinja is an imperial shrine very close to Meiji Jingû and is dedicated to Admiral Tôgô. Back in the Russo-Japanese War from 1904-1905, Admiral Tôgô was the commanding officer of the Japanese fleet which defeated the Russian fleet, then considered the most formidable fleet in the East. The Japanese victory signaled a point of recognition around the world that Japan, a non-Western nation, had officially entered the ranks of imperialist nations. 

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 9.

Tôgô Jinja is an amazing little shrine. The small courtyard before the main building is white and clean with bright colored wood used in the building of the shrine. Below the shrine, a pond filled with koi fish and turtles. A wooden bridge zigzags through the pond offering a serene photography setting and a pleasant interaction with the the life below. 

Meiji Jingû

in

Of all the shrines in the Tokyo area, this one has to be the most sacred. Meiji Jingû is a massive shrine complex in the middle of a forest between Shinjuku and Shibuya. Not only is the shrine an amazing achievement, but the landscaping is also of great significance. The forest which surrounds the shrine is forbidden to everyone except the grounds keepers who maintain it every few years, and all the trees are donations to the shrine from around Japan and the world. Enshrined at Meiji Jingû are Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji restored political power to the Imperial Throne after centuries of political power held first by the aristocrats and then the warriors from the 12th century to 1868 when the Meiji Emperor assumed control. It was Emperor Meiji who transformed Japan from the "feudalistic" society of war lords and vassals to an industrial and imperialistic nation by asking for officers and politicians from Europe to help train the new leaders of Japan. 

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 10. 

Meiji Jingû is a monumental shrine which is only accessable by dirt roads which visitors walk down. Along these roads, huge wooden tori designate the way to the shrine. In April the inner sanctum of the shrine is opened for the only time in the year to pay respects to Emperor Meiji and his wife, and in typical Japanese fashion, unless you are a major contributor to the shrine, visitors cannot see anything. Weddings and ceremonies of all sorts are held throughout the year, and on New Years, as with at most shrines in Japan, casks of sake (and French wine at Meiji Jingû) are opened on New Years. The shrine is not the expected sort of flamboyance or design that may fit in the minds of many, and with the growing popularity of Harajuku, the famed shopping district quite literally across the bridge from the shrine entrance, Meiji Jingû does not always have the same pull for everyone. All the same, even if it doesn't seem particularly special to the casual viewer, it is an incredible place to go with the iris gardens opening in May/June. 

Casks of sake with a similar sized collection of wine off screen to the right.

Walking towards the main shrine.

Inner shrine behind me (illegal to photograph) looking at the center of the shrine where a dance stage is set up.

Kanda Myôjin

in

Kanda Myôjin is one of the most famous shrines in the Kanto area. Sitting atop a hill near Akihabara, Kanda shrine has three beings enshrined there: two gods and a famous warrior. The gods enshrined are 2 of the 7 Lucky Gods: Daikokuten, god of the good harvest, and Ebisu, the god of fishermen and businessmen. Last to be enshrined is Taira no Masakado, a major player in warrior legends by revolting against the imperial court. After being hunted down and beheaded by his friends and family, it is said that he became an angry ghost and his head flew from his grave to a small fishing village of Shibazaki which would later be Edo (Tokyo). In the 14th century a plague began to spread in Shibazaki and it was attributed to the fact that Masakado's anger had yet to be sated, so the villagers removed the head from the small shrine they had constructed to remedy his anger when he first arrived (see Tsukudo Jinja), and moved it to Kanda Myôjin where he remains today.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.

Kanda Myôjin is a very fun place to go and during matsuri (festival) season because it is host to the Kanda Matsuri, one of the biggest in the Kanto area making it is one of the best places to be in Tokyo. All together Kanda Myôjin is a beautiful shrine with a rich history and fun present. When the festival is not in full swing, it’s also a nice place to go when you want to get away from some of the crowds of Akiharaba, but because of its close proximity, Kanda Myôjin does have special talismans that bear images of anime girls.

IMG_2585.JPG
The main shrine at twilight.

The main shrine at twilight.

Benten-do

in

Earlier I talked about Enoshima Jinja which was dedicated to Benzaiten, a Chinese goddess who was incorporated into Shinto belief but is also found in Buddhist contexts as well. Like Enoshima Jinja, Benten-do is on an island in the middle of a large pond in Ueno Park. Benzaiten is believed to live on an island which is why you can find her temples/shrines in locations associated with water. 

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 6.

Much of the beauty of this temple comes from what time of the year it is. The pond is filled with lotus flowers making it amazing in late summer, but the rest of the time it can be a little difficult to look at. The temple is a lovely building with a massive lantern taking up much of the interior. 

Gojôten Jinja

in

Another shrine tucked away in Ueno Park, this shrine is not as flashy as Ueno Tôshôgû, but it is far more accessible and has its own little bits of beauty. There isn't any information that I know particularly about this shrine other than it too used to be a part of the Kaneiji temple complex which covered what is Ueno Park today, and it is home to a small Inari shrine as well as a city shrine to the people and prosperity of Ueno.

To the casual: 7. To the educated: 3.

Ueno Tôshôgû

in

Ueno Tôshôgû is a miniature version of the very famous shrine complex up in the mountains in the town of Nikko. This shrine was originally constructed in 1686 and was part of the Kaneiji temple complex before it was burned down during the rise of the Meiji Emperor in the late 19th century. This shrine is dedicated to the founder of the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and each metal lantern lining the path to the shrine was donated by the daimyo (warrior nobility) to the Tokugawa Shogunate of the Edo period to celebrate and ensure the peace created by the Tokugawa family. As a modern addition to this shrine, there is a small little memorial to those who died in the two atomic bombings of Japan with a small flame alight, this one being the origin of the two flames now burning at both the Hiroshima Memorial and the Nagasaki Memorial. 

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 7

This shrine is beautiful and it's a wonderful treasure among the many tucked into various corners around Ueno park, but this small shrine is not accessible to the public so really all visitors can do is look and take pictures. Plus, once visiting the real Tôshôgû in Nikko, there's this odd feeling like this shrine could have been more, but I guess that really depends on context. Years ago this shrine would have been a gem in one of the largest temple complexes in the Kanto area, but instead it stands alone surrounded by cafes and museums. All the same, for being an addition to a temple which is no longer there, it is one incredible little shrine.