Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temple/shrine name | 98% | Clean tensho seal reading 明治神宮; chrysanthemum + paulownia imperial crests confirm; no other shrine in Japan uses this exact crest combination on goshuin. |
| Date | 96% | Standard Reiwa-format date column, all characters legible. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 明治神宮
- Name (Romanized): Meiji Jingū
- Type: Shinto shrine (jinja)
- Location: Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo
- Date received: 令和五年五月二十七日 = 27 May 2023 (Reiwa 5)
- Imperial date stamp on goshuin: 皇紀二千六百八十三年 = Imperial Year 2683 (= 2023 CE; the Imperial calendar starts from Emperor Jinmu's mythological accession in 660 BCE)
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Top right |
| 明治神宮 | Meiji Jingū — shrine name | Center, large brushwork |
| 明治神宮 (tensho seal script) | Meiji Jingū | Center, large red square seal |
| 皇紀二千六百八十三年 | Imperial Year 2683 = 2023 CE | Right column (red stamp) |
| 令和五年五月二十七日 | 27 May 2023 (Reiwa era) | Left column |
| 十二葉菊 + 五三桐 | 12-petal chrysanthemum + 5-3 paulownia imperial crests | Top center, red |
A distinguishing detail: in Meiji Jingū's hand-written goshuin, the character 宮 (miya) is written without its middle stroke — a deliberate stylistic choice unique to this shrine.
About the shrine
Meiji Jingū is the Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji (1852–1912) and Empress Shōken (1849–1914). It was established in 1920, eight years after the emperor's death, on the site of an iris garden in Tokyo's Yoyogi district that the imperial couple had loved to visit. The shrine's vast forest — over 100,000 trees donated from across Japan — was deliberately planted as an "eternal forest" designed to mature and self-sustain over centuries.
The shrine was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945 and rebuilt by 1958 through public donations. Today it is Japan's most-visited shrine for hatsumōde (New Year's first visit), drawing roughly 3 million worshippers in the first three days of January.
Why the imperial year on this goshuin
Meiji Jingū is one of the very few shrines in Japan that prominently stamps the 皇紀 (Kōki / Imperial Year) alongside the Reiwa date on its goshuin. This is because the shrine enshrines an emperor and frames itself within the imperial lineage tracing back to Emperor Jinmu. The Imperial calendar is otherwise rarely used in modern Japan; seeing it on a goshuin is a strong signal you're at an imperial shrine.
Enshrined deities
- 明治天皇 (Emperor Meiji) — the emperor under whom Japan modernized from a feudal state into an industrial power (the Meiji Restoration, 1868).
- 昭憲皇太后 (Empress Shōken) — known for charitable work, women's education, and founding the Japanese Red Cross Society's funding.
What it's known for / the blessing
- 国家安寧 (kokka annei) — peace and stability of the nation
- 家内安全 (kanai anzen) — household safety
- 縁結び (enmusubi) — good relationships, including marriage; the 夫婦楠 (Meoto Kusu / "Couple Camphor Trees") in front of the main hall, joined by a sacred rope, are a famous spot for couples
- 学業成就 (gakugyō jōju) — success in studies, given Emperor Meiji's association with the modernization of Japanese education