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Yasukuni Shrine, which means " peaceful nation shrine", is located in the city of Tokyo in Japan. It is a Shinto Shrine, which is dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting for their emperor. The shrine is situated in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo. The Yasukuni Shrine was built in the year 1869. At that time it was known as Tokyo Shokonsha. It was however renamed in the 1879. The shrine was built in memory of, and to pay respect to the soul of the people who gave up their lives fighting for a peaceful Japan. The names of nearly 2.5 million people who died in the war at the time of the Meiji restoration, the first Sino- Japanese war, Russo-Japanese War, First world war and other wars, are inscribed in the walls of this shrine. The shrine has a large steel torii gate, which is nearly 25 meters tall. There is also a monument called the 'spring of remembrance', which is meant to dedicate water to the people who died in the war. One can also get to see the Statue of Omura Masujiro, the first western styled bronze statue of Japan in the temple grounds. The statue was built in the year 1893. Besides these, another monuments that one can get to see in the shrine's courtyard is the 'great lantern'. These two huge stone lanterns represent the navy and the army and are the largest in Japan. These lanterns were built in the year 1935. Other statues that one can find over here include statue of a dog, statue of an army horse, statue of a mother, and a memorial for pigeons. The temple has a huge prayer hall called Haiden. It is the main prayer hall, which was built in the year 1901. The hall has huge white screens, which are hung from the ceilings, during ceremonies and special occasions, the white screens are replace with purple ones. The Honden is the main sanctuary of shrine. All the major rituals are held in this hall. This hall was built in the year 1872 and renovated in the year 1989. The Chinreisha, meaning Spirit pacifying shrine, is located on the southern part of the sanctuary. This is a smaller shrine dedicated to people who died in wars held in different countries of the world. Every year on the 13th of July a special event is held in this small shrine.
The shrine also has a museum in its premises called the Yushukan War Memorial Museum. Here one can get to see numerous military paraphernalia and other displays. The museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. everyday and one has to pay a fee to enter the museum. There is also a small pond and garden inside the premises of the Yasukuni Shrine. Known as Shinchi Teien, it is a Japanese styled garden that is worth a visit. The shrine has been a center for much controversy. It is considered as a symbol of Japanese militarism and ultra-nationalism. The visits of the Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi has made this shrine pretty famous. In order to come to this shrine you can take a train to the Kudanshita Station on the Hanzomon subway and then walk to this place. You can also avail the Tozai and Shinjuku lines to this station. The Yasukuni Shrine is a well-known tourist spot of the city and one of the primary sightseeing destinations.
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