Meiji Jingu Tokyo
The Meiji Jingu is one of my favorite places to walk in Shibuya, Tokyo. Since my client's offices is not far, I often will use my lunch hour to stroll through the grounds to decompress. It is one of Tokyo's largest green spaces (70 hectares of prime real estate). As soon as you pass the massive torii (鳥居) gate at the main entrance you forget you are in a metropolis of nine million people.
My family and I love the place so much that we have contributed to its rennovation this past year. You can see how much people cherish this place. As visitors approach the gates they will stop and pray before passing. The staff is there early every morning sweeping and grooming the grounds.
The main entrance to the shrine is located next to Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line. The northern entrance is near Yoyogi Station. So it is easy peasy to reach this wooded patch of peace. You can't miss the torii gate at the main entrance.
A torii is one of Japan's most iconic symbols. It a traditional marker for Shinto shrines or any place that has deep religious meaning. This 40 ft high gate is made from cypress trees this massive gate lets you know that you are walking on sacred ground.
The main complex of buildings are located a brisk ten minute walk from Harajuku Station. I do not suggest you walk briskly, you want to enjoy the preserved piece of nature.
As a strategic consultant, I manage chaos for a living. So travel is easy for me. Heh. I travel to understand people and culture more deeply than a newspaper or tv show could ever tell me. I break bread to build bridges across political and social boundaries. Travel inspires me, teaches me and humbles me such that I appreciate my part of the world more deeply.
