Meiji Shrine
Encyclopedia
, located in Shibuya, Tokyo
, is the Shinto
shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji
and his wife, Empress Shōken.
. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location.
Construction began in 1915, and the shrine was built in the traditional nagare-zukuri
style and is made up primarily of Japanese cypress and copper. It was formally dedicated in 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926. Until 1946, the Meiji Shrine was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.
The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II
. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October, 1958.
Meiji Shrine was brought into the flow of current events with the 2009 visit of United States Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton. After arriving in Tokyo on her first foreign trip representing the newly elected President Barack Obama
, she made her way to this shrine in advance of meetings with Japan's leaders to show her "respect toward history and the culture of Japan."
In January 2010, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
demonstrated the same respect when he concluded his visit to Japan with a visit of the shrine.
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, is the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
and his wife, Empress Shōken.
History
After the emperor's death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken had been known to visit was chosen as the building's location.
Construction began in 1915, and the shrine was built in the traditional nagare-zukuri
Nagare-zukuri
The or is a traditional Shinto shrine architectural style characterized by a very asymmetrical gabled roof projecting outwards on one of the non-gabled sides, above the main entrance, to form a portico . This is the feature which gives it its name. It is the most common style among shrines all...
style and is made up primarily of Japanese cypress and copper. It was formally dedicated in 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926. Until 1946, the Meiji Shrine was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.
The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II
Bombing of Tokyo in World War II
The bombing of Tokyo, often referred to as a "firebombing", was conducted by the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. The U.S. mounted a small-scale raid on Tokyo in April 1942, with large morale effects...
. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October, 1958.
Meiji Shrine was brought into the flow of current events with the 2009 visit of United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton. After arriving in Tokyo on her first foreign trip representing the newly elected President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, she made her way to this shrine in advance of meetings with Japan's leaders to show her "respect toward history and the culture of Japan."
In January 2010, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle [] is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions...
demonstrated the same respect when he concluded his visit to Japan with a visit of the shrine.
Shrine complex
Meiji Shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of 700,000 square-meters (about 175 acres). This area is covered by an evergreen forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. The forest is visited by many as a recreation and relaxation area in the center of Tokyo. The shrine itself is composed of two major areas:Naien
The Naien is the inner precinct, which is centered on the shrine buildings and includes a treasure museum that houses articles of the Emperor and Empress. The treasure museum is built in the Azekurazukuri style.Gaien
The Gaien is the outer precinct, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery that houses a collection of 80 large murals illustrative of the events in the lives of the Emperor and his consort. It also includes a variety of sports facilities, including the National Stadium, and is seen as the center of Japanese sports. It also includes the Meiji Memorial Hall, which was originally used for governmental meetings, including discussions surrounding the drafting of the Meiji Constitution in the late 19th century. Today it is used for Shinto weddings.See also
- Meiji Jingu StadiumMeiji Jingu Stadiumis a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team...
- List of Shinto shrines
- List of Jingū
External links
- Official English site Requires Flash.
- Meiji Shrine English map
- Meiji Shrine Panorama