Meiji Jingū
Place · Shibuya / Harajuku
Enter at opening from the Harajuku gate; 45 minutes on gravel paths; the gates close at sunset, which moves every month.
- Gates close at sunset
- Gravel paths
- Go at opening
- Free entry
- Works with kids
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Avoid moving large bags on trains 07
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
- Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
- Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.
- Kanto ↗Suica/PASMO is the default IC card; ICOCA also works.
- Kanto ↗Tokyo stands on the left side of escalators.
- Tokyo ↗Avoid moving large bags on trains 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30; rush-hour cars are packed.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours not on file: check the official site.
- Crowds
Go at opening
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: Free
- Time to spend
- 45–60 min · up to 90 min if you linger
Best time to go
Calm at opening; weddings and groups late morning; New Year extreme.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Fri, busiest Sun.
Opening hours
- Note
- Opening and closing follow sunrise and sunset and change monthly; not printed until verified.
Which month is quietest
- Janpacked
- Feblight
- Marbusy
- Aprbusy
- Maybusy
- Junbusy
- Jullight
- Auglight
- Seplight
- Octbusy
- Novheavy
- Decbusy
Quietest Feb · Jul–Sep · busiest Jan.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-trip, weekend, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Harajuku (JR) or Meiji-jingūmae (subway)
- Exit
- JR Harajuku Omotesandō exit
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- main path: none; long gravel paths
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Accessibility
- PartialStep-free entrance · No steps on the main route; long gravel approach, about 10 min from the Harajuku gate to the hall.
- NoLifts
- Check firstAccessible toilet
- PartialWheelchair · Wide and flat but deep gravel in places; pushing is tiring.
- PartialStroller · Gravel is heavy going for small wheels; a carrier is easier.
Sensory load
- Sensory load2/5 Low
Exposure: medium
What to bring and the rules
- Allowed outdoors; no photos of the inner hall during ceremonies, and none of wedding parties at close range.
- Banned in the forest and over the shrine.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- rain: Harajuku station, then indoor Omotesandō
- fatigue: Main hall rest area (anchor A)
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Meiji Jingū main hall rest area
Problem
Red lines
- Do not photograph wedding processions at close range.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
The pin marks the centre of Shibuya / Harajuku: this place has no exact entrance point on file.
More places in Shibuya / Harajuku
Eat in Shibuya / Harajuku
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
- Free days
- Always free — East Gardens close Mondays and Fridays.
Free entry days in Tokyo (pick Tokyo in the tool; check)
- Photos
- Allowed outdoors; no photos of the inner hall during ceremonies, and none of wedding parties at close range.
- Banned in the forest and over the shrine.
- What's closed
- WeeklyOpen every day; gate times follow sunrise and sunset month by month.
- New Year (31 Dec–3 Jan)The busiest shrine in Japan for hatsumōde: millions of visitors, one-way routes, long waits at Harajuku station.
- Weekend weddingscheckWedding processions cross the main courtyard most weekend mornings; watch from a distance.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine grounds and main hall | Free | — |
| Inner Garden (Gyoen, iris garden) | about ¥1,000 (≈ US$7) maintenance fee (check) | Separate gate on the main approach; irises in June. |
| Meiji Jingū Museum | about ¥1,000 (≈ US$7) (check) | Near the north side; check its closing day. |
| Omamori (charm) | about ¥800–1,500 (≈ US$6–11) (2026 estimate) | — |
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
30min
Worthwhile
45min
Typical
60min
p95
90min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (60 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partlyNo steps on the main route; long gravel approach, about 10 min from the Harajuku gate to the hall.
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partlyWide and flat but deep gravel in places; pushing is tiring.
- Stroller: partly · partlyGravel is heavy going for small wheels; a carrier is easier.
No steps on the main route, but long, deep gravel approaches: tiring to push.
Rules on site
- conduct
- Walk at the edge of the approach — the centre is for the deity; bow at each torii if you like.
With kids
- with kids
- Forest, sake barrels and big gates hold interest for an hour; no food stalls inside, so bring water.
- child price
- free (shrine grounds)
Combine with
Combine with
- 5 minTakeshita-dōri — Across the road from the Harajuku gate.
- 8 minYoyogi Park — Open lawns; weekend musicians and dancers by the Harajuku gate.
- 8 minOmotesandō — Architecture-lined avenue down to Aoyama.
- 25 minShibuya Crossing — Via Cat Street, or one JR stop.
Walk the Shibuya / Harajuku area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it stroller-friendly?
The main approach is wide gravel: possible but bumpy. The Yoyogi side paths are smoother.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Can I see a wedding?
Often on weekend mornings; watch from the side and don't block the procession.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Deep dive
Sources
- officialMeiji Jingu (official)
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.