Exploring the Meiji Shrine

The Meiji Shrine was built in the early 1900s to honor Emperor Meiji, who guided Japan through the transformative Meiji Restoration. This period marked the country's transition from a feudal society into a modern industrial nation. If you watched Samurai X, you may already be familiar with this fascinating era of Japanese history. The original shrine was destroyed during the air raids of World War II, but a nationwide public effort led to its reconstruction in 1958.

Visiting the Meiji Shrine feels like stepping into another world, or... even another time. As you pass through the massive torii gate at the entrance, you are welcomed by a peaceful forest, with towering trees shading the path from the morning sun. For someone accustomed to the noise and fast pace of city life, the calm and silence within the shrine grounds offer a refreshing and surprising contrast.

There was a row of sake barrels in the left and Burgundy wine barrels in the right. The colorful sake barrels, known as kazaridaru, are donations from sake brewers across Japan. These decorative barrels are used for ceremonial display rather than for actual consumption. Just across from them is a row of French wine barrels from the Burgundy region of France. Donated by French wineries, they are displayed at the shrine as a symbol of Emperor Meiji’s embrace of Western culture during Japan’s modernization in the late 19th century. It was interesting to see the contrast between the traditional Japanese sake barrels on one side and the French wine barrels on the other.

We made our rest stop at another torii gate and decided to finish our visit there.