Meiji shrine

I still do not know what to expect in Tokyo. This city is so foreign to me in so many ways.

I visited Meiji Shrine - a Shinto shrine very close to where we live - on a beautiful sunny day. The entrance of a Shinto shrine is generally framed by a Torii.

Many Japanese people visiting the shrine kiss the Torii and hug it as they pass (seemed odd to me, but the more they did it the more tempted I was to hug it too… strange).

One of the parts I liked the most was this “wall of wishes”. This is the place where people write their wishes and prayers in small pieces of wood arranged all around a somewhat important tree.


It was surprising to see so many young people in the shrine, and the mood is quite happy. Some teenagers are playing around and there are school kids watching and talking. I guess I still do not know enough about the shrines , about Japan and about their customes... 2 more months to soak it all up.