
#21 Globally
⛩️ Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu)
Japan
About This Sacred Site
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) in Tokyo is Japan's most popular Shinto shrine, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. Set within a 170-acre forest of 120,000 trees donated from across Japan, the shrine offers a serene escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl. Visitors write prayers on wooden ema plaques, and the shrine hosts traditional Shinto weddings. At New Year, it receives the highest number of worshippers of any shrine in Japan.
Key Facts
- •The surrounding forest contains 120,000 trees from 365 species donated from all over Japan
- •Receives over 3 million visitors during the first three days of New Year
- •Built in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken
- •The original shrine was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in 1958
- •The massive torii gate at the entrance is made from a 1,500-year-old cypress tree
Location
Coordinates: 35.6764, 139.6993





