Meiji Jingu Gaien

In the heart of Tokyo, the actual site of Meiji Jingu shrine extends way past its sacred enclosure, up to several hundreds meters east, to the park named Meiji Jingu Gaien, literally the "outer garden" and the counterpoint of Meiji Jingu Gyoen, the inner garden.

The century-old forest surrounding the various sports and cultural facilities is however the only Shinto influence perceptible in this vast area. The ancient trees are nonetheless currently threatened by an urban redevelopment project that would greatly impact the park, with an estimate of about 1,000 trees to be cut down by 2036.

Visit of Japan National Stadium

From Kasumigaoka’s neighborhood, the exploration of Meiji Jingu Gaien begins with the new National Stadium (国立競技場), designed by architect Kengo Kuma and inaugurated in December 2019 in view of Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games 🏅 (postponed in 2021). It came as a replacement for the former national stadium built at the occasion of the 1958 Asian Games and it also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for 1964 Summer Olympics. A previous multi-purpose gymnasium, called Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium also stood here between 1924 and 1956.

The stadium is open to visit upon prior reservation, especially:

• Part of the cloakrooms;
• The seating area and a central observation deck; and,
• The surroundings of the athletics tracks and the field at the center.

At the 5F floor, the gallery Sora no Mori is free to access on the daytime and offers a panoramic view on Shinjuku’s skyscrapers. Lastly, the walk around the stadium is interspersed with outdoor displays of various Olympic statues, and it is neighboring the Japan Olympic Museum (日本オリンピックミュージアム).

Other iconic stadiums are located in the same park, like:

• Meiji Jingu Stadium, a baseball field (明治神宮野球場) home to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows; and,
• Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (秩父宮ラグビー場) home to the Japan Rugby Football Union and therefore to the national team, the Brave Blossoms.

Several sport facilities can also be found in the area, hosting the local clubs’ daily sports activities: tennis, baseball and ice skating. It is also possible to try and play baseball at the batting center located in Meiji Jingu Gaien.

Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery

Historical symbol of the Meiji Jingu Gaien, the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery or Seitoku Gallery (聖徳記念絵画館), is standing in the middle of the Park. Its massive granite stone architecture, crowned with a central dome, was built in 1925 and is a good illustration of prewar Japan. It is illuminated every night until 10:30 p.m.

The museum commemorates the reign of Emperor Meiji (1868 - 1912) and Empress Soken, starting at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and restoring a powerful imperial power. A series of 80 mural paintings of Japanese and Western-styles inspiration are displayed, that would interest enlightened amateurs of this period of the history of Japan.

Read more:

Modern Japan: Meiji Era to 1945 - Modernization and Ultra-nationalism

Seasonal events venue

In addition to sport events, the large park is home to several seasonal events throughout the year, such as:

• The open-air beer garden Forest Beer Garden sets its stands in the heart of the Nikoniko outdoor children playground (明治神宮外苑にこにこパーク) in summer;
• Fireworks 🎆 are also fired from the stadiums in summer;
• In autumn, the Icho Namiki avenue is filled with onlookers admiring the golden foliage of the ginkgoes carefully lined along the road;
• In winter, Tokyo Christmas Market enlivens the park’s walkways until the end of December.

Restaurants and cafés with outdoor terraces are also open all year long and allow to enjoy the canopy of Meiji Jingu Gaien’s forest.