Meiji Shrine

A shrine enshrining Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, founded in 1920. The approximately 700,000 square meter grounds consist of an artificial forest made up of roughly 100,000 trees donated from throughout the country, which after 100 years have grown to resemble a natural forest. Walk through the grand torii gate and along the graveled approach, and you are enveloped in a silence that makes the bustle of Shibuya and Harajuku seem like a lie. It has the highest number of worshippers for New Year's prayers in Japan, with approximately 3 million visitors annually. The iris garden and Kiyomasa's Well, a sacred spring within the grounds, are also worth seeing. You may also encounter a wedding procession.