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Meiji Shrine and Harajuku

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Tour Report on Mar.3, 2019 (Meiji Shrine & Harajuku)

  • 2019.03.05

Today we welcomed 9 guests from China, Poland, Singapore and US. Despite of the shivering low temperature and the cold rain, we enjoyed the walk in the tranquil Meiji Shrine and the busy streets of Harajuku. The Meiji Shrine is said to be one of the powerful spots where you could receive positive energy. Once you enter the shrine compound from the Great Torii gate, you will feel the clear energy flow into your system. It is better to visit shrines early in the morning rather than in the afternoon. Inside the shrine, we notice people writing something on a wooden tablet. The wooden board is called”EMA” and visitors write their prayers, then hang it on the specified booth along with offertory. Common prayers would be “prayers to pass important exams”, “Safety for one’s family”,”prosperity in business”,”prayer for health” and “success in romance”. Today, some of our guests stopped by the Ema booth and took time to write their prayers for safety of their family and for prayer to pass entrance exam on behalf of her brother. Hope their wishes come true 🙂 We thank our guests for joining us in the cold rain today, and wish everyone a pleasant […]

“Out with the demon, in with fortune” Feb.3rd Meiji Jingu Tour & Ueno Park tour kicks off on Feb.11

  • 2019.02.04

What a perfect day! We could welcome 12 guests at our meeting place, the Giant Torii under such a mild climate even it was in the middle of the winter. Thank you for coming from U.S.A, Brazil, U.K.,Australia, Singapore. The precinct surrounded by greenary was such a relief, and the energetic Harajuku area was also so stimulating for all of us. Each time we visit the shopping area, we could find new shops or discover more “hyper” things.   More to say, this day(Feb 3rd), was the exact day of a seasonal event called Setsubun.The Setsubun is the day before a new season starts.  In Japan we throw soy beans on setsubun as we say “out with the demon and in with fortune”   This ceremony started because people believed that evil spirits were released every time the season changed.  For good luck, we eat as many soy beans as we are years old on this day. On Setsubun people also eat an entire roll of sushi for a good luck. Why entire? Because it is said that the luck will be cut off as well if you slice the roll. And one more advice is that you have to eat […]

Tour Report on Jan. 20(Meiji Shrine and Harajuku)/Ueno Park Tour on Feb.11

  • 2019.01.22

Many thanks for joining our tour to Meiji Shrine and Harajuku area on January 20. Weather was perfect. We welcomed seven friendly guests from Australia,Portugal and America.I hope all of you refreshed your body and mind at the Shrine in the beginning of 2019. On our tour route there is Ota Memorial Museum of Art specializing in Ukiyo-e wood block printing between Takeshita Street and Omotesando street. They have 12,000 pieces and change the exhibition almost every month. During the Edo period a variety of figures and trends were depicted in Ukiyo-e. They are beautiful landscapes, everyday life of commoners, actors and courtesans. Current performance displays many works of people, children and animals illustrating their cute(kawaii) and funny (Okashii) behaviors. We may be able to share the same feeling as the Edo people. The exhibition continues until January 27. In February the Museum will show Ohara Koson’s woodblock prints of birds and flowers. Ukiyo-e is a style of woodblock printing created and developed in Japan about 300 years ago during the Edo period. The major artists are Utamaro,Hiroshige and Hokusai. The low price of the new artwork attracted customers. When Ukiyo-e printing was used as wrapping papers for the ceramics […]

Tour Report on Jan. 6 (Meiji Jingu Shrine and Harajuku Tour)

  • 2019.01.06

Thank you for joining our 1st Meiji Jingu Shrine & Harajuku Tour in 2019.   We welcomed 8 guests from Australia and Germany. <Group A: 3 guests and 2 guides>   <Group B: 1 family and 4 guides> From Jan 1st to 3rd, more than 300,000 people had visited the Meiji Jingu Shrine to make wishes for the coming year.  We could feel the special atmosphere of the busiest shrine in Japan. We Tokyo Free Walking Tour is going to have the 10th anniversary in this year!  From now on, we will keep doing our best to provide the valuable tour for all of you, so why not come and join us?  Thank you! (written by H.S)

THE SHINTO DEITY CALMLY WELCOME AN INFLUX OF VISITORS – the 16th of December, Harajuku

  • 2018.12.19

Thank you for joining our Tokyo Free Walking tour in Harajyuku areas. On the day of December 16, with a low temperature and overcast sky, we welcomed eighteen guests from different regions like U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Israel, Germany and U.K. Finally, December has come. The hectic year-end holiday season undeniably brings us restless times and drives us into engaging into piles of work and commitments. In Japanese households, people start their extensive year-end cleaning tasks, and in the workplace, workers are confronted by the deadlines of their tasks before the year ends. It is a kind of routine that people do, brought about by the season. During this time of the day, we happily met 18 early-bird tourists of the walking tour and commenced in front of the huge torii, or the gate of the Shinto shrine. After designating the participants to their respective tour guides, and after the introductions, we started the 90-minute tour of Tokyo’s Harajuku district along with our tour route. Once we stepped into the evergreen forest that nestles the Meiji Shinto Shrine, most of the members of the tour seemingly forgot the restless and hectic ambiance of the city, and it was replaced by a […]

SHIFTING FROM DRESSY COLORED LEAVES TO WINTER EVENING ILLUMINATION (DEC.2, SUNDAY-TOUR)

  • 2018.12.05

Thank you for your participation to our Meiji Shrine and Harajuku route tour on December 2. Lovely guests we welcomed counted 9 from Canada, Netherlands and US. The weather was cloudy and rather cold but not windy.  Probably because of seasonality, both Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street in Harajuku town were less crowded thus we could enjoy walking leisurely.  Autumn colors were still bright, but it became closer to the end of its season.  Lucky for our guests, we could see traditional Japanese style events such as 7-5-3 (family event celebrating healthy growth and wishing longevity of their 7-5-3 years old children), and  wedding-procession dressed in classic Japanese costume. During the tour, we take short break at “Forest Terrace” rest house near by main entrance.  Having pleasant chat and networking among the group is also not a little enjoyment of our tour.  You can gain local information both from us, local guide and other guests from abroad.  Also,  you can have a quick bite of some Japanese snacks such as baked dumpling with soy sauce during this break time. Evening illumination events are one of the popular tourist attractions in winter.  You can enjoy the illumination viewing at various spots […]

The leaves on the Japan’s first avenue are turning yellow(November 18)

  • 2018.11.19

TFWT appreciate your participation in our tour of Meiji Shrine and Harajuku area on November 18. We welcomed the 21 friendly guests from Spain, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, America, Taiwan and Vietnam. Weather was perfect in the midst of autumn. I hope all of you enjoyed viewing Shichi-go-san(7-5-3) event, chrysanthemum display, wedding procession and changing colors of the leaves with us.   Shichi-go-san is an event to pray for the growth of children of three, five and seven years of age around November 15. Boys and girls of three, boys of five and girls of seven are celebrated. Parents as well as children express their gratitude to the deities for their growth and blessing for the future. We saw a girl wearing pretty kimono on the shrine approach. After the purification rituals Chitose Ame(thousand year candy) are given to the children wishing good health and long life. Although there are a few theories, the origin of Shichi-go-san can be traced to the Edo period about 300 years ago. The fifth Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi brought his eldest son to the shrine hoping good health since he was so sickly. In addition Hamaya are the ritual arrows to drive away devils and bring […]

The Chrysanthemum and Meiji Jingu & Harajuku Tour, 4 November 2018

  • 2018.11.05

Many thanks to people who participated in the tour. On that day we welcomed 17 guests from US, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Belgium, and Venezuela. We divided into 3 groups. It was a very mild day although slightly rained later in the morning. There was a special event on the Meiji Jingu Shrine that pleased our guests. Exhibition of the chrysanthemum. Beautiful chrysanthemum flowers shown on the corridor and inside the main pavilion square attracted so many visitors there. Each one was well-taken care of by planters who pride themselves with their artistic forming of the flowers. We call the flowers, Kiku. What is significant of the chrysanthemum is the flowers are Japan’s national flower. You might think cherry blossom is the one but it is only seen in spring. But chrysanthemum is what you see all year around. Chrysanthemum is used as emblem for the imperial family as you see on the top of Torii gate of the shrine. It is also known to be a symbol of Japanese aestheticism which was described in renowned classic cultural anthropology book titled “The Chrysanthemum and the sword” on which the author, Ruth Benedict described as “a nation with a popular cult of […]

A SHINTO DEITY RESEMBLES THE NOTABLE MOVIE ACTOR- October 21st, 2018, Harajuku

  • 2018.10.21

Thank you for joining our Tokyo Free Walking Tour in Harajuku area. On the 21st of October, with sunny and occasionally cloudy skies, we welcomed 8 guests, people from the U.S.A., Singapore, Canada, Australia, Belgium and Japan, to our walking tour. We started the 90-minute tour in front of the torii or shrine gate of the Meiji Shinto Shrine, and concluded it at the Omote Sando Avenue. Going through the torii, with brisk footsteps that sound like “zaku zaku”, we proceeded to the shrine’s main building which is nestled in the center of the evergreen forest. This sound, “zaku zaku” is an onomatopoeia giving life to the vibrations made by visitors stepping on the gravel that serves as pathways in the religious compound. Strolling on the grounds of the Meiji Shinto Shrine is one of the most extraordinary experiences that people can do to escape the highly urbanized area of Tokyo. When it comes to the historical background of the Meiji Shinto Shrine, our guides show the pictures of the Meiji Emperor. This is because this place is dedicated to commemorating the soul of the Emperor and Empress, who ascended to the throne around the 1900s. The spirit of the […]

Tradition and Westernization, 7 October 2018, Meiji Jingu

  • 2018.10.10

We thank many guests joining this tour. On that day we welcomed 20 guests from UK, Australia , USA, Belgium, Spain, Nederland, and Indonesia and then we divided into 4 groups.   It was really a hot day, unbelievable in this time of the year. So the groom and the bride we saw should have felt very hot. Their costumes are typical Japanese Shinto Shrine wedding style. However, a groom costume, black suite and gray stripe trousers is kind of, western. Black was never used as formal ceremony cloth color, even for funerals before modern period. In late 19th century when Japanese officials held western type ceremonies or parties, to get along with westerners attending ceremonies, black and gray color kimono became standard for men. Then black turned formal clothes color for every occasion in modern time. Some kind of adaptation of the West was seen, just like Meiji Emperor memorized in the shrine was actively acquiring western customs. Meiji Emperor was the first man who cut off folded hair on head to look after western men. In those days men without folded hair was considered outcast. So he became a model for modern Japanese men. Westernization was modernization in […]

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