Located within Harajuku is Meiji Jingu Shrine, which is encompassed by a massive park rife with history and a special garden set deep within. These gardens required a 500 yen (~$6) donation to enter for upkeep of the gardens. There was a side area once you walked far enough into the park where there was a restaurant, gift shop, treasure annex, and wedding chapel area (not actually a chapel since this is Japan not America, but the Japanese equivalent of our chapel lol). I wanted to go into the treasure annex but it was closed off that day for what looked like a businessmen tour of some kind...maybe some Japanese politicians were in the midst of some deal and this was one of the places they were showing the foreign businessmen they were hosting? Anyway, they rudely kicked me out when I tried to enter so I figured it was something important. There were cameras and stuff everywhere outside too.
Meiji Jingu itself was extremely large and densely wooded. As soon as you enter (at least from the entrance I used), there was an immense stretch of gravel road going deep into the park as far as you could see. You could easily fit 30 people standing side by side across this thing. It was wonderful walking along the wide gravel path, deeply breathing in the woody fresh scents, and hearing an orchestra of bird calls around me. It was such an abrupt change from the busy street teeming with people, shops, cars, buses, and restaurants that I just stepped off of that it was breathtaking. I truly loved it! Like a little patch of purity in a developed and highly civilized city.
Every so often there would be displays along the sides of the forested pathway. The two above are barrels of wine and sake, donated by various benefactors to the park. I took pictures of the signs too, so it's like you are walking around the park reading and seeing everything with me :)
The foliage was GORGEOUS within the gardens. There were splashes of deep red, orange, and yellow amidst all the green that made for some lovely scenery to walk around in. Many of the wooded pathways are narrow and you are surrounded by dense trees and plants on both sides, so it gives you the impression you are walking solo in a giant forest...it's very peaceful.
There were also more open areas and an area by the lake where the Queen used to fish! I also walked along the Queen's famous Iris Garden but since it is winter, the irises have all retreated into bulb form and there was nothing to see :( I sat by the lake for quite awhile though, just contemplating life and all that good stuff. It was definitely the kind of place that induces those sort of things, if you know what I mean...
I got hopelessly lost inside the park because of how giant it was haha. Typical me. I ended up offroading for awhile too and was wondering among the greenery for a good 10 minutes trying to find the right way to the exit. I finally found the gravel road again though :D The maps they gave me at the entrance were TOTALLY USELESS. They were like vague shapes with numbers on them for certain supposed landmarks...but they weren't any landmarks I could recognize, like Gardens or Treasure Annex, they were other labeled things I had no idea existed -.-
I came upon a row of stalls with potted flowers and some GORGEOUS bonsai plants too!! I happen to really love bonsai, the whole art of it and for their instrinisic beauty and peacefulness. I always feel like each bonsai has it's own kind of personality it exudes, depending on how it has been shaped and decorated :)
Back outside the park the sun was setting (read: it's going to get SUB-ZERO as soon as the sun peaces out from the sky) so I double-timed it back to Shinjuku via the nearby Harajuku station outside Meiji Jingu. Along the streets most trees have already begun their autumn color change so it's truly enjoyable strolling around in the crisp evening air with leaves falling all around you in the light of the sunset...