Creating Serenity: The Construction of the Meiji Shrine Forest

The Naien, or inner garden, of Meiji Shrine.

An illustration of the different 50-year stages in Hongō Takanori’s development manual for the Meiji Shrine forest. The project planners anticipated that broad-leaf evergreens like chinquapin, oak, and camphor would gradually replace pines and other conifers.

A giant wooden torii towers over the newly planted forest during the construction of Meiji Shrine.

A century later, the same torii is now shrouded by trees.

Early on, the paths through the shrine precinct were open to the sky.

Paths today are shaded by overhanging branches.

The giant torii at the southern entrance near Omotesandō during shrine construction.

One-hundred years on, the torii is now partially obscured from view.