see this, and you'll know you're at the right place
remember this view, especially that building far off with the sharp like tower
We didn't find any signage that showed 'Meiji Shrine' this way or something like that, so we followed our intuition. Nearby there's this bridge:
see this, then you're at the right place
To recap, outside the Meijijingu station, look for this:
then walk towards the bridge...
Beyond the bridge looked interesting, so we ventured in...
this is the right place!
and this, confirms that we've arrived at the Meiji Shrine
Of course, it makes a nice spot for some photo taking...
yup, me doing the touristy thingie.. haha!
The gate is impressive, big and sturdy...
closer shot
Beyond the gate is a pathway lined with pebble stones. Its a long road ahead, so we ambled along... With forest lining the left and right side of the path, it felt serene... quite peaceful if not for the tourists moving along...
Spotted a small stream
not quite zen, but natural....
thought this wooden bridge looked quite interesting...
so must take pic lor! ;P
Then, saw this...
barrels of wine...
So wondered, what're wine barrels doing in a shrine? Especially western style barrels... According to the information board, as Meiji was a period where modernisation began, the Emperor himself set examples by embracing western features. Amongst which, he enjoyed western food with wine. The winemakers from Bourgogne France sent the wine barrels to be consecrated at the Shrine.
closer look.. the Year printed on some of the barrels are more recent years, so I suppose the practice is still ongoing?
barrels of sake at the opposite side facing the wine barrels
Walk onwards somemore, and you'll see a junction.
junction
Take the one to the left.. and you'll see
shrine gate (otorii), the biggest wooden torii of myojin style in Japan
i know because i read this
long rows of lanterns
for the Year of the Tiger
Got watch Japan Hour? They always show people drinking the spring water when they're at the shrine or temple right? Heh heh, they had it there at Meiji Shrine, and I've always wondered whether people really drink the water?
After some observation, we deduced that people don't really drink the water.. First take the water and wash one palm, then wash the other palm, then pour it onto your palm and into the mouth to rinse (although got a man who gargled... and for quite long too!) and then spit the water out onto the drain.
Gina's turn
The water was really icy cold! Hehe, it was a quite interesting experience. Then the place got too crowded.
crowd forming...
Move on, and you'll see the entrance to the main halls of the shrine.
Enter, and you'll be greeted with a vast space...there are east and west wings.
Very quickly, saw two girls in some costume scurrying past (they walk very very quickly!). Whipped out the camera and just managed to capture them!
girls in costume
Actually, they can be found at the stalls selling charms...
Inside the praying hall, photo taking and eating/drinking are not allowed. There's a wooden box with slots so throw a 100 yen coin and clap 2 times. Then pray. There's also a box with poems written by the Emperor and there's a English (translated version) and Japanese version. 100 yen each. So took one for fun. I got one from Empress Shoken and it went like this:
Ever downward water flows,
But mirrors loft mountains;
How fitting that our heart also
Be humble, but reflect high aims.
Japanese version:
Takayama no kageo utushite yuku mizu no
Hibiki ni tsukuo kokoro tomogana
After that, we walked about and found this:
wishing tree with votive boards
Messages are hung around the tree, and hopefully these wishes will come true.
On our way out of Meiji Shrine, we were greeted by this view:
does it look familiar? If not, scroll upwards...
Should have known that if we can see this building this close, it also means that we were quite far from the subway station...
So, we tried to find Harajuku and our direction was correct. Just that its quite a distance away... But quite alright, 'coz got to see many interesting buildings along the way.
Found a public toilet also!
Got luxury car showroom also!
And ta-dah! We finally exited at Omotesando Hills.. upscale and atas! And yup, did see fancy cars there! WoohOoo!
But the kids were more excited for this:
Hello Kitty manju!
maimed bcoz i ate one of the legs
It's located below KiddyLand, which in turn is a place that sells toys.. 5 floors of toys!
KiddyLand
LV shop.. Flo, I took this for you!
But I find that it's kinda irony because right beside the LV boutique, there's a church.
There are many nooks and corners, cafes restaurants, luxury brands, Forever 21, H&M, Laforet etc to explore.
Another noticeable thing is that this area is quite popular with advert vans like this one:
Besides luxury brands, there are also street stuffs, cosmetics, tattoo parlors, Daiso etc to explore in Harajuku... and of course, Fancl House!
taken in front of Daiso
i like this pic
Shop shop shop! So at night, we went to get dinner from our favourite bento shop.
yumz
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