Walk out of Harajuku Station and onto the south approach, and a huge wooden torii gate appears almost immediately. Big torii gates aren't rare in Japan, but a wooden one this size is. It's the kind of thing that makes you stop walking for a second. Look closely and you'll notice it's angled slightly off-center from the station exit, set to follow the curve of the approach path rather than sitting dead straight. This guide covers Meiji Shrine's torii gates — their size, history, where the wood came from, and how the current gates came to be rebuilt.
How Many Torii Gates Does Meiji Shrine Have?
There are 8 torii gates across the shrine grounds in total. Nearly every visitor passes through two of them: the First Torii (South Approach Torii), right by Harajuku Station, and the Second Torii (the Grand Torii, or Ōtorii), where the south and north approaches meet. This guide focuses mainly on those two.
The First Torii: Steps From Harajuku Station
Rebuilt in 2022 With Yoshino Cedar
The First Torii marks the entrance to the south approach, and it's practically next door to Harajuku Station. The original gate went up when the shrine was founded in 1920, and it stood for almost a century before being rebuilt — the new gate was completed with a purification ceremony and a first-passage rite on July 4, 2022. That rebuilding project closed out the shrine's centennial memorial work.
The pillars are Yoshino cedar from Kawakami Village, Nara Prefecture. The gate stands about 10.1 meters tall, and its kasagi (the crossbar at the very top) runs roughly 15.6 meters long. The imperial chrysanthemum crest from the old gate was re-gilded and reused on the new one, a project made possible by foresters and volunteers nationwide through a dedicated Yoshino-timber offering association.
Is It Still Under Construction?
A fair number of people search for whether the torii is currently being rebuilt — it isn't. The rebuilding project finished back in 2022. That July unveiling marked the end of the centennial memorial work, and as of 2026 there's no indication of any major construction happening around either torii.
The Second Torii: Japan's Largest Wooden Myojin Torii
Size and Structure
The Second Torii stands where the south and north approaches converge, marking the entrance to the main path leading to the shrine hall — this is the one most people mean when they say "the Grand Torii" (Ōtorii). At roughly 12 meters tall, 17.1 meters wide, with 1.2-meter-diameter pillars and a weight of about 13 tons, it's the largest wooden myojin-style torii gate in Japan, and one of the shrine's defining sights.
| Height | ~12 m |
| Width | ~17.1 m |
| Pillar diameter | ~1.2 m |
| Weight | ~13 tons |
| Style | Myojin torii |
The Wood: 1,500-Year-Old Cypress From Alishan, Taiwan
The original Second Torii went up in 1920, but wood large enough for a gate this size simply wasn't available in Japan at the time. It was built instead from cypress over 1,500 years old, harvested at Alishan in Taiwan — then under Japanese colonial rule — and donated for the shrine's construction.
Lightning Damage and the 1975 Rebuild
That original gate was struck by lightning in 1966 and damaged badly enough to need replacing. In 1975, it was rebuilt once again with a massive cypress trunk donated from Taiwan — and that's the torii standing today. Half a century on, it still greets every visitor walking up the main approach.
First Torii vs. Second Torii: What's the Difference?
Same word, two very different gates. Here's a quick side-by-side.
| First Torii | Second Torii (Grand Torii) | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | By Harajuku Station, south approach entrance | Where the south and north approaches meet |
| Height | ~10.1 m | ~12 m |
| Wood | Yoshino cedar, Nara (rebuilt 2022) | Taiwanese cypress, Alishan |
| Rebuilt | July 2022 (first rebuild in ~100 years) | 1975 (after lightning damage) |
| Notable for | The first gate you pass through | Japan's largest wooden myojin torii |
Torii Etiquette: Is It Okay to Walk Through?
Yes — walking through is exactly what a torii is for. Passing under one is considered the first step of a proper visit. The standard etiquette is a small bow before you go through, and staying off the center of the path, known as the seichu, which is traditionally reserved for the kami. With two gates on the main approach, it's worth pausing for a moment at each one before continuing on.
Tips for Photographing the Torii Gates
Shooting the Grand Torii from below, angled upward, is the classic composition — it captures the wood grain against the open sky in one frame. Bringing the gravel path into the foreground adds a sense of depth. Early morning light is soft and the crowds are thinnest, which makes it the easiest window for a quiet shot. The First Torii, meanwhile, is worth capturing as your very first photo on the walk in from Harajuku Station.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many torii gates does Meiji Shrine have?
A. There are 8 in total across the grounds. Most visitors only encounter two: the First Torii near Harajuku Station and the Second Torii (Grand Torii) at the main approach entrance.
Q. What's the difference between the First and Second Torii?
A. The First Torii sits at the south approach entrance by Harajuku Station and was rebuilt in 2022 with Yoshino cedar. The Second Torii, where the south and north approaches meet, is built from Taiwanese cypress and is the largest wooden myojin torii in Japan.
Q. What wood are Meiji Shrine's torii gates made from?
A. The First Torii uses Yoshino cedar from Nara Prefecture (as of the 2022 rebuild), and the Second Torii (Grand Torii) is built from cypress from Alishan, Taiwan.
Q. Is the torii still under construction?
A. No. The First Torii's rebuild was completed in July 2022, and there's no major construction around either gate as of 2026.
Q. Is it okay to walk through the torii gates?
A. Yes. Give a small bow before passing through, and walk to the side rather than straight down the center of the path.
Q. Is Meiji Shrine free to visit?
A. Yes — both torii gates and the shrine grounds are free. Only the Inner Garden and the Meiji Jingu Museum charge admission.
What Visitors Are Saying
Stepped out of Harajuku Station and this huge wooden gate was right there. Didn't expect something that size in the middle of Tokyo.
Learning the wood came from Taiwan and survived a lightning strike made walking under the Grand Torii feel a lot more significant.
Knew the gate was rebuilt in 2022 but seeing the wood still looking fresh in person was something else. The story behind the Yoshino cedar is genuinely interesting.
Shot the Grand Torii from below with the gravel path in the foreground, exactly as this guide suggested. Best photo from the whole trip.
Never seen wooden torii gates this massive before — the material makes it feel warmer than the stone ones I've seen elsewhere in Japan.
Learning the lightning-strike history made walking through the Second Torii feel like something worth pausing for, not just a photo stop.
Couldn't tell which torii was which at first. → The one near Harajuku Station is the First Torii; the one where the two approaches meet is the Second Torii (Grand Torii). Remembering the walking order helps.
Everyone was taking photos in front of the Grand Torii during New Year's, hard to get a clear shot. → Go on a weekday or early morning if you want the gate mostly to yourself.
Final Thoughts: Two Gates, One Story
The First Torii by Harajuku Station and the Second Torii at the main approach differ in size, wood, and rebuild history — but both carry the same thread running through Meiji Shrine: generations of people, from Taiwan to Nara, contributing the materials and effort to keep these gates standing. Next time you're there, take a second before you walk through to actually look at the grain of the wood and think about where it came from.
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