Secret garden in Tokyo – Meiji Jingu’s Inner Garden

Even though I have been in Japan for over 5 years, I have never ventured into the Inner Garden in the grounds of Meiji Jingu in Harajuku. There is just so much to do around Harajuku and the gardens seemed almost hidden from everything else. In reality, it’s not that hard to find, and only costs 500 yen to enter. There are not many English signs to the Inner Garden, but it doesn’t take that much time to find. It’s also much quieter than the rest of Meiji Jingu, so have a look if you need to get away from all the crowds.

The irises were in bloom, which made for a nice walk around. Just out of the entrance there is a Japanese tea house up a little hill. There were little Japanese ladies walking around in Kimonos!

It doesn’t take too long to see all the garden, so bring in a drink and relax in front of the irises, or cherry blossoms or Autumn colours, depending on the season. The traditional Japanese thatched rest house is another cool place to escape the heat or have a drink.

It’s worth going to the back of the garden to visit the magic well. Apparently if you touch the water falling off the side of the well, you get a bit of extra luck for the year! The well was dug here around 400 years ago by a military commander and has become a local ‘power spot’, as the Japanese like to say.