Yasukuni Shrine

This is a really interesting place. I highly recommend the museum on site which features a good deal of World War Two artifacts and history from the Japanese perspective as well as memorials to the war dead.

Not worth the hype. A lot of noise over this shrine but it’s all political.
The day I came the courtyard was hosting a flea market. It looked pretty trashy.
A lot of open space and large buildings in the shrine complex but not much else.
Despite the website saying cameras are allowed this extends to iPhone and that’s about it.
Security will escort you off if they see so much as a point and shoot camera as was my case. Either that or this is one of those «no foreigners allowed» spots.
Regardless, despite the hype, this is no Fushimi Inari or Hakone Shrine.

This is ‘the controversial shrine’ you’ve read about. Even justin bieber was criticized for visiting.
I wanted to clarify a couple points vs. the prior reviews. First, this is a big compound with several components.
1. The approach area, with the big iron torii (gate). This open plaza is lined with sakura and hosts several festivals throughout the year with food and beer carts, dancing, etc. There is a big statue of Omura (fictionalized in thelastsamurai). The plaza is is open ²⁴⁄₇. They had fantastic taiko drummers at the Mitama Matsuri (festival) in July.
Following portions are open 6am-​6pm.
2. The main temple area, with wooden torii, washing/​purification area, main temple hall, reception hall. There are a bunch of beautiful old sakura in courtyard.
3. BEHIND the main temple (west side of compound) is a pond&garden area. I highly recommend this spot. Beautiful scenic path across pond, sakura, benches to sit and have a snack, teahouse.
4. Path along the south side of temple. Along this path is a small shrine to all of the world’s casualties of war.
4. Archives building. For researchers
5. Yushukan. The war museum. This is a separate place on the north side of compound, not a temple. Mostly in Japanese language only. If you are into military hardware, you might find interesting.
OK, that’s the layout. To get here is about a 5 minute walk from Kudanshita station, use exit #1. Shrine is on the north side of Yasukuni dori (street). The ‘big hall’ mentioned by prior reviewer is the Budokan, a sports and concert facility, located on south side of yasukuni dori. You can see a traditional architecture gate and dome over there as you walk. Actually, that palace gate and moat is quite scenic also, and mobbed during sakura season.
It is true that on the anniversaries of some historical dates, fanatics come to the shrine area with some big sound trucks. But in my experience the Japanese police are on the ball and out in force on those days.

Yasukini shrine is often controversial but all politics aside good starting point to learn Japanese side of story of samurai warrior mindset to post WWII Japan. Wall of all deceased service members is very moving experience, along with letters left behind by all kamikaze.
Museum has limited English translation and that is probably the major reason behind misunderstanding because when non English speakers look at exhibit you get wrong vibe that museum might be hiding something by translating only key part (and also many translation isn’t done right)
There are many WWII hardware that you won’t see anywhere else except smithsonian museum.
It’s always good to learn the other side if story before making judgmental decision. Try to avoid around early mid August, unless you want confrontation with neo-​conservative right wing peeps screaming anti American slogan (and they can’t tell if you are Canadian or French, all foreigners would be unwelcomed as timing is too close to VJ Day).
The experience is good and highly recommend for all military history buff.

This is very famous in Japan as a graveyard for the war dead.
So all the Japanese knows this.
This is so large as to live up to its name.
Also it has a long history since Boshin War in the Meiji period.
This is near Kudanshita station.
It only takes a few minutes from there.
As there is a big hall near here, there are a line to it.
So you may be confused, but this is closer, and you can find this easily.
This has controversial problem.
This is associated with the class-​A war criminals.
They are enshrined here, so if the Japane‘s prime minister visits this, other countries, especially Korea and China, think that he affirmed the previous war.
Then the international tensions break out.