All over Tokyo, in between the shopping malls and office buildings, are various kinds of shrines. We went to two of them today; the Meiji Jingu Shrine, dedicated to the emperor and empress who helped open Japan up to the outside world more than 100 years ago; and the Togo Shrine, dedicated to Admiral Heihachiro Togo, who was in charge of the fleet that defeated the Russian army during the Russo-Japanese war. To get to either one of them, one first has to brave the teen haven that is Harajuku. This is where most Japanese teenagers hang out on Sundays. They are dressed in the most trendy of Japanese fashions, if they are not costumed in the favorite Anime character’s outfits. It truly is a site to see.
A beautiful stone covered path leads the way to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. It is shaded and quiet, which provides much needed relief from the sun and noisy streets of Harajuku. One could spend a whole day exploring the grounds – it is so serene.
Again we made our way past the teenagers, feeling older and older the farther down the street we went, on our way to the Togo Shrine. Unfortunately, it was closed when we got there. However, this man did not let a closed door stop him from his prayers.
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