Tokyo Tuttle Travel Pack. Rob Goss

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      1 Meiji Jingu Shrine

      Tradition and tranquility amid the urban sprawl

      Dedicated to the souls of the Emperor Meiji, the man who lead Japan’s transition from feudal state to modern world power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his consort Empress Shoken, the quiet hush and calm of Meiji Jingu Shrine and its inner precinct (the Naien) is a perfect example of the contrasts that have come to define Tokyo—of the modern city standing at ease alongside the old city and its enduring traditions. In Meiji Jingu’s case, this enclave of “old Japan” rubs shoulders with the youthful, anything-goes Harajuku area and cosmopolitan Omotesando-dori.

      After passing under the first of Meiji Jingu’s three grand torii gateways, walking along gravel pathways shaded by the towering forest that enshrouds the main shrine, it’s hard to believe all this (shrine and 28-hectare/70-acre forest) was built only after the emperor’s death in 1912, construction eventually finishing in the fall of 1920. In fact, the buildings that are here now date only to the late 1950s when they were rebuilt after being leveled in the air raids that destroyed so much of Tokyo in 1945. Yet, regardless of age, the inner precinct is undoubtedly ancient in manner. On one visit you might see a Shinto wedding procession gracefully moving through the grounds. On another you will see people writing wishes on wood plaques and hanging them on racks in front of the main shrine, where people bow to pray, only their gentle ritual hand claps punctuating the silence.

      Not surprisingly in this city of contrasts, Meiji Jingu’s outer precinct (the Gaien) couldn’t be more different to the tranquil inner. Stretching over 32 hectares (80 acres), the Gaien is home to parkland and an incredible array of sports facilities, including the 48,000-seat National Stadium, the main venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The International Olympic Committee is always keen to talk about the “Olympic legacy” the games leave in each host city, and with the Gaien they have a legacy that—like the shrine itself—has managed to stand the test of time.

      Opening Times The main shrine is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Getting There A several-minute walk from either Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line or Meiji Jingumae on the Chiyoda Line. Contact Meiji Jingu Shrine: www.meijijingu.or.jp. Gaien: www.meijijingugaien.jp. Admission Fee Meiji Jingu Shrine is free.

      2 Omotesando Shopping Avenue

      Tokyo’s chicest street is defined by high fashion

      If you had to pick one place that best encapsulates “chic Tokyo”, this 800-meter (2,625-foot)-long zelkova-lined boulevard and the side streets that wind off of it would have to be it. Although it was originally created as an approach to Meiji Jingu Shrine (page 9) in the Taisho era (1912–26), Omotesando-dori has become synonymous in recent years with two things: high-end shopping and modern architecture.

      The area is home to the flagship stores of brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior as well as architectural master- pieces such as Tod’s, a slim, L-shaped building encased in an enclosure of sharply angled concrete elements and polygonal glass plates that was designed by 2013 Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito. Then there’s Omotesando’s centerpiece, Omotesando Hills, which transformed the street when it opened in 2006. Designed by acclaimed architect Tadao Ando, the 250-meter (820-foot)-long mall runs along a quarter of Omotesando-dori’s length. Some 100 shops and restaurants as well as 38 luxury apartments are housed on the inside, which is defined by a six-level atrium stretching three stories above ground and three below, with a spiraling ramp connecting the different levels.

      Not that all the shops along Omotesando-dori fall in the high-end or high-style bracket. Opposite Omotesando Hills is the fantastic Oriental Bazaar (page 72), a one-stop shop for almost every conceivable souvenir, from “I Love Tokyo” T-shirts to beautiful used kimono and even fine antique furniture. On a street known for its cutting-edge architecture, you’ve got to applaud the brashness of the bazaar’s faux oriental temple façade, which looks like something transplanted straight from ancient China. Like the many other mismatched buildings in Tokyo, it poses the question: just who is in charge of planning permits?

      Getting There Omotesando-dori can be accessed at one end by Omotesando Station on the Chiyoda, Ginza and Hanzomon subway lines, and the other by Meiji Jingumae Station on the Chiyoda Line and Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line.