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Takeshita Street at Harajuku |
DAY 3
Entering the grounds of the Meiji Shrine, you'll hardly believe that you're in the center of the world's largest metropolis. It is said that 100,000 people planted 100,000 trees nearly a century ago for the grounds of this Shinto shrine. It honors the Emperor Meiji (1852-1912) who, in addition to consolidating the nation's capitals, is credited with bringing Japan into the modern age.
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| Meiji Shrine |
So it is fitting that this shrine now sits at the edge of Tokyo's center of all things new and trendy. As you exit the shrine on a weekend, you might see teenage girls dressed up outside Harajuku station in a sort of Goth-baby-doll-meets-French-waitress getup, a spectacle that has to be seen to be understood—or not. A few steps away is Takeshita-dori (aka Killer Dori), where dozens of shops cater to the world's most fashion-forward beings: Japanese teenagers. Come here to see what kids in your neighborhood will be wearing two years from now or how they'll be styling their hair. On Sunday afternoons, the adjacent Yoyogi Park bounces with young folks showing off the latest dance moves to recorded music.
The generous tree-lined boulevard Omote-Sando has been called the Champs-Élysées of Tokyo. That may be a bit overblown, but Omote-Sando and the adjoining Jingumae and Aoyama districts are home to some of Japan's most fashionable shops. Stroll through the many-storied La Foret Building near Omote-Sando's main intersection for one-stop staring.
Even if you don't shop, check out the architecture of the Hanae Mori, Comme des Garçons and Prada buildings, or stop for coffee and cake in the café at the landmark Spiral Building by noted architect Fumihiko Maki. Pritzker-prize winner Tadao Ando's newest creation is Omote-Sando Hills, which looks like a block-long strip of glass from the street but opens into a oblong spiral atrium indoors.
Museum-goers might instead prefer to visit the Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art, just off Omote-Sando. It is a small but very fine space, with changing collections of Japanese woodblock prints. Works by Hokusai and Hiroshige are just the tip of the iceberg.
Or if you want to see the highlights of Japanese art in one place, take the Yamanote train line across town to the Tokyo National Museum; the second floor walks you through Japanese art from prehistoric statuary to arms and armor and woodblock printing. The museum is located in the giant Ueno Park, great for a stroll and a peek at some historic temples and the Toshogu Shrine, which echoes its more famous counterpart in Nikko (a couple hours away).
Cap off your three days with a visit to the Tokyo you probably had in your mind before you arrived, the Shibuya district. The plaza outside of Shibuya station is encircled by stories of neon, giant TVs, noise, young people, party people and business people, ducking in and out of cafés, restaurants and nightspots.
And if this is just one tiny corner of the city, it makes you wonder what the other 12 million people might be doing.
For more information, visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government tourism website at www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english or the Japan National Tourism Organization at www.jnto.go.jp or www.japantravelinfo.com.
SHINTO
AND BUDDHISM
Before
the arrival of Buddhism in the Japanese archipelago
in the sixth century, Japan worshipped an animist
religion that is now known as Shinto. The basic
tenet of Shinto is that everything in nature
has a soul; by communing with nature one can
become spiritually pure. At Shinto shrines you’ll
often see rope tied around auspicious rocks
and trees adorned with white origami lightning
bolts, signifying a sacred space within. Humans
can be revered, too. Another hallmark of a Shinto
shrine is the torii, the gate with
two lintels at the top.
Buddhism,
meanwhile, originated in India and made its
way to Japan via China and Korea, so Buddhist
temple architecture often reflects influences
of those countries. Every Buddhist temple contains
an image of the Buddha or a Buddhist saint and
usually incense burners—incense is said
to purify the soul—bearing images of lotus
flowers or dragons. The central goal of Buddhism
is to achieve enlightenment, most famously through
Zen meditation.
Most
Japanese do not adhere to either religion exclusively.
Rather, people will travel to Shinto shrines
for rituals such as the blessing of a baby or
a wedding ceremony, while funerals take place
at Buddhist temples. |
For
more information, visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
tourism website at www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp or the Japan National Tourist Organization at www.jnto.go.jp or www.japantravelinfo.com.
* Images courtesy of the Japan National Tourism Organization.
(Updated: 03/24/09 LM)
