,url-https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripexpert.com%2Fimages%2Fmarker-fade%402x.png(139.7508,35.684055)/139.72515977919102,35.68011126144116,13.455510625889355/1280x214@2x?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidHJpcGV4cGVydHdlYiIsImEiOiJja2Fud3l2MDcwbXZ0MndyeGF3eGI3ZWhzIn0.zLqNa1RECyZZadF8zfQM5w)
Meiji Jingu ShrinevsImperial Palace
Both are rated highly by professionals. On balance, Meiji Jingu Shrine ranks significantly higher than Imperial Palace. Meiji Jingu Shrine comes in at #1 in Tokyo with recommendations from 11 reviewers such as Departures, Concierge and On the Grid.
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Fodor's
Concierge
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
Condé Nast Traveler Travel + Leisure
Departures
On the Grid
The Telegraph
Afar Magazine Show All Reviews
1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0052
From $0/night
Fodor's "A wonderful spot for photos, the mammoth entrance gates (torii), rising 40 feet high, are made from 1,700-year-old cypress trees from Mt. Ari in Taiwan." Full review
Concierge "The shrine is an impressive sight—austere wooden buildings surrounded by greenery."
Travel + Leisure "On New Year's Day, eat osechi (a special feast of seafood and vegetables) and join the happy crowds huddling outside the Meiji-Jingu Shrine to get good tidings." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"One of the most important Shinto buildings in Tokyo and it is where newly-weds come to seek spiritual transformation ... access is via a majestic gate." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Meiji Shrine, a peaceful, wooded haven dedicated to Emperor Meiji (1852-1912)." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are enshrined here at one of the city's most famous sacred sites." Full review
Departures "The two enormous Japanese cypress torii (shrine gates) that guard the grounds are particular highlights—and they teem with tourists accordingly—but the site is serene and worth a visit." Full review
On the Grid "The Meiji Shrine was built in honor of Emperor Meiji, the 19th-century emperor who opened Japan to the West." Full review
The Telegraph "In typical Tokyo style, one of the city’s most peaceful forest shrines is just a stone’s throw from the 21st-century Harajuku crowds." Full review
i
Wear comfortable shoes if possible, avoid taking baby strollers (the path is long and gravelly), and once you arrive, look out for silent wedding processions led by the billowing white kimono of a Shinto bride.
Afar Magazine "The serenity of the Meiji Jingu Shrine is a notable contrast to the crowds of Harajuku hipsters just beyond the giant torii gates." Full review
Imperial Palace
Frommer's Travel + Leisure
Time Out Michelin Guide Condé Nast Traveler
1-1 Chiyada, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-8111
From $0/night
Frommer's "The Imperial Palace, home of the Imperial family, is the heart and soul of Tokyo." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Located on the former site of the 15th-century Edo Castle, the Imperial Palace is the official residence of Japan's royal family." Full review
Time Out "Tokyo's Imperial Palace stands on what was once the site of Edo castle and residence of the Tokugawa shogunate." Full review
Michelin Guide 1 Star
"The Emperor, who lives there still, opens it to the public on 23 December and 2 January each year. The rest of the year, visitors can wander among the 250,000 trees of Higashi-gyoen Garden." Full review
i
Get a glimpse of the monarch's treasures in the Museum of the Imperial Collections.
Condé Nast Traveler "On the emperor’s birthday—December 23—the inner gardens of the Imperial Palace are opened so the populace can come wish the emperor good health and a long life." Full review
