Meiji Shrine

A Shinto shrine in a dense evergreen forest beside Harajuku, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The main approach is free.

Why visit

The approach through the torii gate and the woods feels a world away from Harajuku, despite being minutes from the station.

How to get there

The south approach, through the large torii and the gravel path under the trees, starts beside Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line. That is the walk the shrine is known for. Meiji-jingumae Station on the subway is another way in, closer to the Harajuku shopping street than to the forest gate.

Give yourself the path, not a door-to-door minimum. The buildings sit well inside the grounds. Follow the shrine's own English access page for which entrance you want, especially if you are trying to reach the inner garden rather than the main sanctuary.

Hours & tickets

Walking the main approach and visiting the main sanctuary does not require a ticket. Sunrise and sunset change the precinct hours through the year, and the shrine publishes the monthly opening schedule. Checked Oct 2026: use the English site at meijijingu.or.jp rather than a blog summary of "always open."

The inner garden and the treasure museum are separate from the free approach. If either is the reason you came, confirm the fee and the day's hours on the shrine site before you walk in from Harajuku. Weddings and ceremonies can close a route inside the grounds without closing the forest.

• Meiji Jingu English site

Best time to visit

Go when Harajuku is busiest if you want the contrast: the trees start a minute from Takeshita-dori and the noise drops as soon as you are through the torii. Weekday mornings are when the gravel path is quiet enough to hear the city only in the distance.

New Year draws large hatsumode crowds. The shrine posts visitor information for that period; do not assume a normal weekday pace on January 1. Rain is still a good visit because the forest is the point, but the gravel gets muddy.

How long to spend

The approach, the temizuya, and the main sanctuary take about 45 to 75 minutes at a normal walk. Add the inner garden only if you have checked that it is open and you actually want the paid garden. Rushing the path so you can leave in fifteen minutes misses the reason to come.

Tips

• •Enter from Harajuku Station for the most atmospheric walk through the trees.
• •Wash your hands and rinse your mouth at the temizuya before approaching the main hall.
• •At the temizuya, ladle water over your left hand, then your right, then rinse your mouth with water poured into your hand. Do not drink from the ladle.
• •Keep to the side of the path when a wedding procession is coming through. The center of the approach is their route, not a photo platform.

Nearby

Yoyogi Park shares the western edge of this forest and is the easy add-on if you want lawn instead of shrine buildings. Shibuya Crossing is the other end of the same district: a train from Harajuku or a longer walk south. Use the Shibuya district guide to decide which of those belongs in the same half-day.

Play it in an itinerary