Tokyo · Day Tour
A shrine in a forest that was planted by hand, and how to enter it properly.
From
¥4,000 per person
approx. US$26
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
A Meiji Shrine tour through the sacred forest in the middle of Tokyo. You learn how to bow at the torii, purify at the water pavilion (temizuya) and pray at the main hall, and your guide explains why the shrine sits inside a forest that was planted, tree by tree, only a century ago.
The woodland around Meiji Shrine looks ancient and is not. It was planted in the 1920s by volunteers, from trees donated across the country, and designed to become a natural forest over centuries. Knowing that as you walk it changes the whole experience.
Bowing at the torii, rinsing at the temizuya, the order of the claps at the main hall. Your guide shows you each step and explains what it is for. None of it is complicated, and afterwards you will use it at every shrine for the rest of your trip.
Most visitors use the two words interchangeably. Your guide explains the difference — what Shinto is, how it sits alongside Buddhism in Japanese life, and why almost nobody here finds it strange to observe both.
Meet your guide near the station.
The entrance to the shrine grounds, and the first bow.
A walk through the planted woodland.
Purification, prayer and an explanation of Shinto practice.
Near Harajuku Station, at the NewDays 原宿 convenience store. Your guide carries a Travel Japan Together sign and will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand.
No. Most guests know nothing at all. The etiquette is taught from the beginning and the explanation assumes no background.
Your English-speaking guide and the guided walk. There is no entry fee for the shrine grounds.
The shrine sits between the two, so it fits easily either side of a visit to Takeshita Street or Shibuya. Ask your guide for directions at the end.
Yes. The forest paths are pleasant in rain and far quieter. Only a typhoon warning would cancel it.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
Tokyo · Cultural Experience
1 hours · From ¥15,000
Tokyo · Day Tour
2~8 hours · From ¥8,000
Tokyo · Food & Drink Tour
3 hours · From ¥6,000
