Meiji Shrine & Garden

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On my "Saturday" last week, I decided to go into Tokyo and go back to the Meiji Shrine. It's a really popular, well-known shrine that is frequented by tourists, and while Jamie and I went there in 2009, I hadn't been back, and I sort of wanted to see again with my new frame of reference in mind. Things I saw when I was visiting years ago suddenly seem a lot different, and it's really fun to compare! So, I put on my new plaid hi-top Vans and set out.

It's super easy to find and has the added bonus of being a place I remembered, so once I got to the entrance I knew exactly where I was. There were tons of tourists, which is the one problem of visiting a tourist trap, but to be fair, the visitors were split 50/50 with foreign sightseers and Japanese ones. This time, as I took the long approach up to the shrine itself, I decided to stop and go through the Inner Gardens, because Jamie and I hadn't done that last time.

The gardens were very pretty. I loved the tea house (I always love traditional Japanese architecture) and it was a nice walk without too many other people inside. The lilies weren't in bloom yet, but the azaleas were, and that was enough for me to be happy with it.

After that, I went up to the shrine itself and washed my hands - something I don't remember doing last time because I didn't know what the protocol was and didn't want to mess it up - and then wandered around the shrine a little bit. It was certainly a nice day for sightseeing, because the weather was fantastic. It wasn't a long trip or a big outing, but it was fun and I enjoyed it, and it reminded me of my visit here from 3.5 years ago, which is still a highlight in my memories! 😊

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