Chiyoda

This shrine was founded by Emperor Meiji in 1869 to commemorate the victims who provided their service at the front of the country. However, many years after its creation, in 1978, an event created unease on the site after the discovery of the hidden recognition of the service of fourteen (14) war criminals was recognized on the site. This addition casts a shadow over the shrine as a whole.

Unlike other shrines, this one is a place of spirituality where prayers are addressed, not to the usual Shinto deities, but to the spirit of a loved one, a relative, a friend, a brother, a son, a father, or a husband who has given their life in the name of the country since 1853.

The site is vast and after passing the first Torii gate (daiichi torii), the official mark of entry into a sacred place, the reception path is very wide and includes yellow lanterns, stone lanterns, sculptures, monuments related to tragedies including that of the Hitachi Maru memorial (maritime incident during the Russian-Japanese war), statues including that of Masujiro Omura, a commemorative fountain and works of art. Some colorful Sendai Tanabata decorations were hung at one of the entrances to the sanctuary which gives it color. A series of paintings also lined the passage between the gate to the main building.

In front of the main building, a large purple banner with four imperial coats of arms fluttered in the wind.

It was only upon our return that we realized that the 30,000 yellow lanterns were there specifically for the Mitama Matsuri festival, a memorial event to honor the dead, which took place when we were at the site from July 13 to 16, 2024. During the day, the site was quiet. In the evening, lanterns illuminate the passage to the shrine, traditional dances are held, and mobile restaurants offer their wares.

The shrine is also the gateway to the War Museum, which opened in 1882 and tells the story of the country’s military history.

The shrine records the names, origins, dates of birth and places of death of nearly 2.5 million souls who died in combat.

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