I hope this week has been treating you well. Today I wanted to tell you all about an experience I had about three years ago, just because it is such a good memory. I was very fortunate in this memory to be able to spend the day with two lovely Sister Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on their free day in early spring of 2014.
While living in Japan, I often went to church at a Japanese-speaking ward or group. The sister missionaries however, were both from the States so we spoke together often in English. Sister Missionaries get one free day to get whatever they need to do done as well as take in sites if they are accompanied by a member. As we were super close to Tokyo, the two Sisters asked if I would join them on their day off to visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine in Harajuku (原宿) so that they could experience more of the Japanese Culture and surrounding areas.
While I'll explain more fully about Harajuku in another post, the Meiji Shinto Shrine or "Meiji Jingu" (明治神宮) is the largest Shinto Shrine in Tokyo and was formally dedicated in 1920. Unfortunately, the original building was lost to air raids during World War II, but the Japanese have since reconstructed the Shrine, which has become one of the primary attractions of Tokyo due to its size and Emperor Meiji's significance in history.
The Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, the Empress Shoken, both of whom are buried near Kyoto and the former of which was responsible for the end of the Edo Period. With the end of the Edo Period, the Meiji Restoration took place and Japan's doors were once again opened to outsiders. The building was built for the purpose of enshrining their souls and is still in use today. Many ceremonies and events such as weddings, baby blessings, funerals, Hatsumode (First Year's Prayers and Shrine Visits)(初詣), and the Dezuiri (when the Grand Sumo Champion enters the ceremony ring of the shrine occurs) (手数入り). And despite all of this, the place remains a calm in a sea of hustle and bustle. Needless to say, it's worth checking out.
I met the Sisters outside of the entrance to the Meiji Shrine. After taking some pictures at the impressively tall torii gates (鳥居), we began our walk down the path to the main building of the shrine. One of the cool things to see was the Imperial Family's crest on the torii gates, which is unique only to Imperial Shrines. On the walk, we passed by loads of Sake (酒) barrels (Sake is rice wine). I took a picture for the two sisters in front of the barrels, who were then stopped by a foreign tourist passing by, who asked if they should be taking pictures in front of alcohol. Surprised that the man recognized who they were, it led to an interesting conversation about what the Sisters were doing at the Shrine (it turned out that the gentleman knew who they were and was pulling their leg). It was a delightfully fun experience.
So that begs the question, why were there so many Sake barrels? At the beginning of the year, sake companies each donate a barrel of sake to notable shrines in the hopes of receiving good luck, prosperity, and fortune in the coming years. If you were to look closely, brands like Kirin beer even had given barrels. Quiet a site!
We then proceeded to the main area, where before going in we stopped at the purification trough where we washed our left hand, then our right, then drank (and/or spit) from the right, and then washed our right hands again out of respect (we would want the same respect to be shown at our holy places too!). We took a photo outside the main building before going in and passed by a small shop where amulets and charms could be purchased on our way. These have always been interesting to me as you could buy any from protection against evil and luck in romance to good luck in passing an exam or traffic safety. There are a whole bunch!
After walking around a bit inside the main area, the three of us departed, ending our journey into the shrine. It had been a relatively short visit, but it meant a lot to me being able to appreciate a peaceful place in the heart of Japan's capital with the Sisters. It made me feel that much more connected to Japan than I had before for some reason and thus it remains a very good memory to me.
More than once I've visited this Shrine and it is always a nice experience. It is enjoyable because it is one of the best places to have a chance to gain exposure to Japanese Heritage and Culture as well as gain a higher respect and understanding of the Japanese and part of their Identity. I highly recommend taking time out of your schedule to visit this Shrine if you get to visit Tokyo in the future. It's a good break from the noise of the city to enjoy the peace and serenity of Japan.
Till I write you again,
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