The different sides of Shibuya
{ Japan April 2010 - Day 3 - Shibuya, Tokyo } We spent the day around Shibuya, spending our day in Meiji Shrine and around Harajuku, and the night in the famous Shibuya shopping area. The Traditional Culture Meiji Shrine, or Meiji Jingū (明治神宮) as it is called in Japanese, is a Shinto shrine. You could easily recognise that it is a shinto shrine by the torii gates that are found at the entrance and along the walkway leading to the shrine. There were also sake and wine barrels displayed along the way that were offered to the shrine. We managed to pick up some of the practices and etiquette when visiting a Shinto shrine. Before going into the shrine, we were supposed to rinse our hands and mouth on the washing basin in front of the shrine. In the main shrine, the steps for prayers were as follow: Put some coins into the offering box Bow twice Clap twice Make a wish Bow once again We also noticed various boards with wooden tables right outside the shrine. They were full