Meiji Shrine
메이지 신궁
Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shōken. It was dedicated in 1920, and you enter through a huge wooden torii gate made of Japanese cypress, about 12 m tall, that opens onto a gravel path through the trees.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- Japan
- Location
- Tokyo, Japan
- Built
- 1920
- Height
- 12 m
- Type
- Religious building
Quick answers
Where is Meiji Shrine?
Meiji Shrine is in Tokyo, Japan.
When was Meiji Shrine built?
Meiji Shrine was built in 1920.
How tall is Meiji Shrine?
Meiji Shrine is about 12 m tall.
Shrine to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, set in a 70-hectare forest in central Tokyo behind a 12 m cypress torii.
The shrine sits inside a calm evergreen forest of about 70 hectares in the middle of one of the busiest cities on Earth. The forest holds roughly 120,000 trees of 365 species, all donated by people from across Japan, and it was planted by hand rather than growing naturally.
History of the shrine
Emperor Meiji died in 1912, and construction began in 1915. The shrine was dedicated in 1920 and the grounds were finished in 1926. Building materials and labor came from across Japan, and donations kept the cost to about a quarter of the estimate. The original buildings burned in the Tokyo air raids of 1945. People raised money to rebuild them, and the new main hall was finished in 1958.
A forest made by people
The woods were planned so that they would one day look like a natural forest. The inner grounds hold the shrine buildings and a treasure museum, while the outer grounds have a picture gallery and sports stadiums. Meiji's tomb is not here; it is near Kyoto. The Autumn Grand Festival runs from 31 October to 3 November, Emperor Meiji's birthday.
Fun facts
- The forest holds about 120,000 trees of 365 species, all donated.
- The shrine is in central Tokyo but feels far away from the city noise.
- Rebuilding after the 1945 air raids was paid for by public donations, and finished in 1958.
On the globe
The model shows the shrine buildings in a dense green forest behind a tall wooden torii gate. Look for the gate at the entrance.
Quiz time
Which is taller: Meiji Shrine or Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building?
Show the answer
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. (12 m vs 243 m) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14