Yasukuni Shrine

Shrine

Prefecture

Tokyo

Type

Shrine

N/A

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About This Destination

A large Shinto shrine at the top of Kudan-zaka, founded in 1869, that enshrines those who died for Japan. The grounds are free and hold the cherry tree used to declare Tokyo's bloom each spring; the Yushukan museum inside charges 1,000 yen.

Walk up Kudan-zaka from Kudanshita Station and the first thing in view is the Daiichi Torii, 25 meters tall, rebuilt in 1974 to replace a 1921 gate. Yasukuni began on June 29, 1869 as Tokyo Shokonsha, founded at the wish of Emperor Meiji, and took its present name in 1879. It enshrines about 2.47 million people who died for Japan, starting with those who fell in the fighting of the 1860s. It is also a controversial place, and visitors come with very different feelings about it. Past a bronze second torii from 1887, the Shinmon gate of 1934 carries two chrysanthemum crests 1.5 meters across. Off to the side are a Noh stage, built in Shiba Park in 1881 and moved here in 1903, and a pond garden from the early Meiji years with a stone waterfall and a long granite bridge. One of the cherry trees is the Japan Meteorological Agency's sample tree for Tokyo, so the city's bloom is declared here, and weekends at peak are packed. The Yushukan museum (1,000 yen) shows last letters and personal items across 22 rooms; allow an hour or more. Its entrance hall, with a Zero fighter and a C56 steam locomotive, is free. Every July 13 to 16, the Mitama Matsuri hangs more than 30,000 lanterns.

Location

Prefecture: Tokyo

Address: Tokyo, Japan

Nearest Station: Kudanshita Station

Closed: The grounds are open every day. The Yushukan museum is open daily except for a few days at the end of June and the end of December, announced on the official site.

Hours note: Gates open at 6:00 all year and close at 18:00 from March to October and at 17:00 in January, February, November and December. The Yushukan is open 9:00 to 16:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing. Festivals can change both.

Best time to visit: Late March to early April for the cherry blossoms; July 13 to 16 for the Mitama Matsuri lanterns

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it cost anything, and when is the Yushukan open?

The grounds are free, open from 6:00 to 18:00 from March to October and to 17:00 the rest of the year. The Yushukan is open 9:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00) and costs 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for university students and 300 yen for junior high and high school students; elementary school children are free. It closes for a few days at the end of June and the end of December.

When is the best time to visit?

Late March to early April, when the cherry trees bloom and Tokyo's sample tree is watched for the official start; expect heavy weekend crowds. The other big draw is the Mitama Matsuri from July 13 to 16, when over 30,000 lanterns are lit in the evenings and the grounds stay open for worship until 21:30.

How do I get to Yasukuni Shrine?

The closest station is Kudanshita, about 5 minutes on foot from exit 1 on the Tozai, Hanzomon and Toei Shinjuku lines. From JR Ichigaya or exit A4 of the subway's Ichigaya Station, the walk is about 10 minutes and brings you in through the south gate.

Can I take photos at the main hall?

Personal snapshots are fine, including posting them on social media. Inside the Chumon Torii, do not photograph from the middle of the approach or from the top of the stone steps, and do not point a camera into the main sanctuary; filming while walking, drones and photographing other worshippers so they can be identified are not allowed. Inside the Yushukan, photos are allowed only in the entrance hall and the large exhibition hall.