An oasis of silence

Tokyo city life is really busy and stressful, thousands of people everywhere, crammed trains and queues everywhere. So the need for a little break from it would be a natural reaction. And there are some places that exude an atmosphere of silence even in the middle of this huge city. One of them is Meiji Jingu near Harajuku, a large park with a shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife who are both buried there.
A huge Tori (shrine entrance) marks the access to the park that is next to the a bit less serene but lively Yoyogi park. Rows of sake barrels line the path right after the entrance. They have been donated to the shrine by various companies and individuals. There are barrels with French red wine as well, donated by French wineries. A group of French tourists commented it with delight of course. It may seem a little bit humerous to us, this combination of a sacred place with alcohol. But that is the usual lighthearted, natural combination of the earthly and the heavenly here in Japan. I feel that religion here is somehow a bit less pretentious and detached than back home, say more natural.
The park in front of the temple is really quite big and makes for a nice walk without the usual city noise. The shrine itself is composed of a circle of outer and inner buildings, the former Emperor and his wife being buried within. The Emperor Meiji died in 1912, his wife 1914 and the shrine was completed in 1920. During US bombings of Tokyo during WWII, the shrine was destroyed. It was then rebuilt by thousands of volunteers.
When I visited the shrine there was a traditional Shinto wedding, with the bride wearing the big white cape that is part of the traditional costume (see here for a picture: http://image40.webshots.com/41/4/53/37/318645337TMrsIP_ph.jpg). Meiji Jingu is obviously a popular spot for weddings, for those who do not go for the fake Christian wedding ministers (see previous posts), but for a traditional Japanese wedding. I found the dresses really beautiful.
The temple area also features the usual little shops that sell charms to protect you from any kind of harm or bring you good luck for exams and alike. As said before, this seems to be a rather practical approach (as opposed to elitist). People also write their wished on little wooden tables or buy little papers with wishes for good luck that they tie around metal strings in front of the temple. My illusions about the paper hanging until the wind would carry it away got destroyed when I watched a garbage man at another temple shoveling the paper into a trashbin...