Table of Contents
Location:
Yasukuni Shrine is listed as one of the most famous 16 Shinto Shrines in Japan, located in Chiyoda Ward. Officially, it is called Yasukuni Jinja. It is basically familiar as Military Shrine because of its military-related activities.
The purpose of the shrine is to commemorate the war dead who worked for Japan. Mostly, the soldiers who died in the Boshin War and First Indochina War.
However, later, some of the war dead soldiers and war-related dead such as men-women, children who died in the wars were included. The shrine kept birthdates, names and origins, and places of death of 2,466,532 men, women, and children.
(Find hotels, restaurants, tours, JR Pass, tickets, rental cars and activities in Tokyo)
Besides, the shrine also kept some Koreans and Taiwanese who died to serve Japan.
Yasukuni Shrine is the second biggest shrine in Tokyo after Shibuya’s Meiji Shrine, covering around 60,000 square meters.
History:
Emperor Meiji founded Yasukuni Shrine in 1869. It is historically known as the second year of the Meiji Era.
The old name of the shrine was Shokonsha. But Emperor Meiji renamed it Yasukuni Shrine in 1879 because he wanted to maintain peace in Japan.
Yasukuni means ‘preserve peace,’ or maintaining peace in Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the different wars.
Tourist spots:
The shrine became one of the most visited tourist spots in Tokyo because of its background and location. Many important tourist spots are located around the shrine.
Some of the important tourist spots around the shrine are the Imperial Palace, Nippon Budokan, Kitanomaru National Garden, Chidorigafuchi, the Science Museum, the National Archives o Japan, the National Museum of Modern Art, and the Tayasu Gate.
However, some of the shrine features are worth viewing: four large Tori Gates, Chumon Torii, Shinmon, Daini Torii, and Daiichi Torii.
Besides, there are many good hotels around it, such as Palace Hotel Tokyo, the Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, Hotel New Otani Tokyo, and Hotel Grand Palace.
Main Shrine:
Main shrine Honden remain closed whole the year for the public, and it is usually not possible to go inside the main shrine.
Visitors can vow and pray in front of the shrine’s prayer offering spot. They usually offer some coin and pray as usual even though they cannot enter inside.
However, some of the parts of the shrine can be seen from outside. People can guess it is the holiest place of the shrine.
Yushukan Museum:
Yasukuni Shrine has a good museum. It is a war museum, built-in 1882. The Great Kanto earthquake entirely destroyed it in 1923 but was rebuilt in 1932.
The museum is tourist-friendly, and most of the information is translated into English. It is a paid museum.
Open: 9:00 – 16:30 (March to October)
during Mitama Festval (9:00 -21:00)
Admission Fee :
Adult: 1000 yen
University students: 500 yen
School students: 300 yen
Yasukuni Yachiyo Shokudo
It is a restaurant near the Shinmon at Yasukuni Shrine. It has a good name for the test of the food items.
The restaurant seems to be a shrine from far because of its structure and design. At the same time, testing some soft drinks such a famous place is a good memory.
The restaurant is open for the public. Usually, tourists do not miss grabbing one cup of hot coffee or tea from the restaurant during their visit.
Some other features:
Main Tori Gate is called Daii Tori. It is enormous, measuring 25 meters high and 34 meters wide—there are many giant stone lanterns around the gate.
The second Tori Gate is called Daini Tori Gate, made in bronze, in front of Shinmon. Of course, Shinmon is also very attractive here.
The third Tori gate is called Chumon, made with solid wood in front of the main shrine, Honden.
Among other impressive statues, the Omura Masujiro statue, the first Western-style sculpture in Japan, is the most impressive here, located between the main tori gate and the second tori gate.
Omura Masujiro is considered the ‘Father’ of the Imperial Japanese Army and the main driving force of establishing the Yasukuni Shrine.
Besides, hundreds of cherry trees stand around the shrine, including Tokyo’s representative cherry tree that the meteorological agency uses to pronounce the blossoms’ official opening in Tokyo.
During the Cherry blossom season, Yasukuni Shrine becomes one of the most Cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo.
Festivals:
Among the festivals, mainly two festivals, Mitama Matsuri and Shuuki Reitaisai are famous at Yasukuni Shrine.
Besides, above these two festivals, Hatsumode is also famous in the shrine. During Hatsumode, about 300,000 people visit Yasukuni Shrine, keeping in third place after Meiji Shrine and Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.
Mitama Matsuri:
Mitama Matsuri is held on 3-16 July every year. The festival was first held in 1947 after World War II.
Hundreds of thousands of people enjoy the festival, and it is considered one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals.
30,000 lanterns light Yasukuni Shrine every evening during the festival. Besides, concerts, portable shrine parades, and traditional Japanese dance are performed. The shrine becomes festive with a crowd and various types of stalls.
Shuuki Reitaisai:
Shuuki Reitaisai, or the Autumn Grand Festival, is held on October 17-20. During the festival, priests enter the shrine wearing white priest clothes, walking in a queue. Tourists can see the priest entering the main shrine, standing on another side of the entrance.
The emperor usually sends a royal envoy to the shrine—the members of the envoy dress in traditional royal messenger’s clothes, carrying the gift on their soldiers.
Besides, the theater hall holds the archery ritual Kusaji, tea ceremonies, traditional dance performances, and other religious shows.
Hatsumode, or First Prayer of the Year, is one of the most famous shrine festivals. Hundreds of thousands of people line up from the main tori gate to the main shrine to pay their respect.
During Hatsumode, Yasukuni Shrine remains crowded for a week-long because some people try to come other days of the New Year week to avoid the crowd.
Monthly event:
Japan was famous for the free market before; even it was also popular during the Meiji Period, Edo Period. On one of the Sundays, every month, a free market is held in the shrine premises, where international tourists can experience the traditional Japanese market.
Opening hour:
Admission Fee – free
Open: 6:00 – 18:00 (March -October)
6:00 – 17:00(November-February)
(Note: the dates of event or festival mentioned above may change)
Access:
Nearest Station:
Kudanshita Station
Hanzomon, Tozai and Shinjuku Subway Line
2 minutes walk from the station
Address:
Yasukuni Shrine
3 Chome-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 102-8246
Official website:
Book hotels near Yasukuni Shrine or Chiyoda City.