The Meiji Shrine is the most important and popular Shinto shrine in Tokyo. It was dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shōken in 1926. The shrine is made up of buildings of worship, forests, and gardens.
Each tree in the Meiji Forest was planted by a different Japanese citizen wanting to pay his respects to the Emperor. Meiji is thought of as the man who helped modernize Japan, and though the shrine was originally bombed in WWII, public donation restored the building and its grounds in 1958.
The entrance gates are made up of 1,700 year old cypress trees, leading to the inner and outer garden of the Meiji Shrine; the inner garden has over one hundred varieties of irises. Then, off a gravel path is the shrine's main hall. Built of cypress wood and topped with copper roofs, it is where prayers for the Emperor and Empress are recited. Finally, in the outer garden is one of the most popular attractions: the Meiji Memorial Hall, which houses over 80 murals dedicated to the Emperor.
