Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
4
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
A large, torii gate stands at the entrance to this shrine built in memory of those who lost their lives defending Japan. Many officials still come and offer prayer annually on August 15, the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.
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The area
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Neighbourhood: Yotsuya / Iidabashi
Yotsuya and Iidabashi are areas that developed around the outer moat of the Imperial palace. Nearby in Kagurazaka, there is an old red-light district with a photogenic feel evocative of the ambiance of old Tokyo. Narrow paths with stone paving remain to this day, and there are long-standing restaurants with geishas and quaint old cafes in townhouse buildings.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
1,642 reviews
Excellent
652
Very good
717
Average
235
Poor
21
Terrible
17
olafoomes
Amstelveen, The Netherlands1,660 contributions
Mar 2022
During my 2022 (post COVID) cherry blossom trip I could not leave out Yasukuni Shrine of course. Apart from the shrine complex itself the blooming cherry blossoms are an absolute must to visit whenever you are in Tokyo during this specific season.
And wow what a spectacular spot it was especially in combination with the shrine. It's really nice to stroll on the compound of this shrine and view all those beautiful cherry trees in the park around the shrine. And I was not alone; a lot of Japanese people were enjoying it as well and rightly so.
If you are not visiting Yasukuni during the cherry blossom period be advised that the war museum on the compound itself is definitely worth a visit. At the entrance area of this museum you can see a beautiful restored Zero fighter.
And wow what a spectacular spot it was especially in combination with the shrine. It's really nice to stroll on the compound of this shrine and view all those beautiful cherry trees in the park around the shrine. And I was not alone; a lot of Japanese people were enjoying it as well and rightly so.
If you are not visiting Yasukuni during the cherry blossom period be advised that the war museum on the compound itself is definitely worth a visit. At the entrance area of this museum you can see a beautiful restored Zero fighter.
Written 20 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carloscharmy
Bangkok, Thailand780 contributions
Apr 2023
My early morning visit to Yasukuni Jinja was a serene escape that left a lasting impression. With the tranquility of the garden and the peaceful atmosphere of the shrine itself, it was a welcome retreat from the bustling city. The meticulously designed garden offered a soothing stroll, accompanied by the gentle sounds of nature. Despite its central location, the shrine exuded an air of calm that provided a much-needed respite from the outside world. Yasukuni Jinja is not just a historical and cultural site, but also a haven for finding inner peace and reflection.
Written 14 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark T
Ageo, Japan603 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
Yasukuni is an old shrine. It has been there since the Meiji period in the middle of the 19th century. The nearest stations are either JR Ichigaya or Kudanshita from subway lines.
Please don't forget to bow when you enter the shrine. Cherry blossoms are beautiful in spring. There is a restaurant and souvenir shop. You can find some rare military memorabilia that I am not sure you can find at Amazon. Regarding the restaurant, they serve the Japanese Imperial Navy curry rice which is awesome.
The museum is very informative. People can see samurai swords and Japanese imperial army& navy-related exhibitions. You can know the history of Japanese nationalist's points of view. You also see a Zero fighter and other Tokko suicide weapons such as Kaiten and Shinyo.
English readings are available at the exhibitions, but they are limited. You need to Google the history of Japan if you are interested in it. There are a lot of statues and weapons that were used by the imperial Japanese army.
Please don't forget to bow when you enter the shrine. Cherry blossoms are beautiful in spring. There is a restaurant and souvenir shop. You can find some rare military memorabilia that I am not sure you can find at Amazon. Regarding the restaurant, they serve the Japanese Imperial Navy curry rice which is awesome.
The museum is very informative. People can see samurai swords and Japanese imperial army& navy-related exhibitions. You can know the history of Japanese nationalist's points of view. You also see a Zero fighter and other Tokko suicide weapons such as Kaiten and Shinyo.
English readings are available at the exhibitions, but they are limited. You need to Google the history of Japan if you are interested in it. There are a lot of statues and weapons that were used by the imperial Japanese army.
Written 23 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
goi⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆
Tokyo, Japan5,863 contributions
Jan 2022 • Solo
YASUKUNI SHRINE
Yasukuni Shrine, which was founded in 1869, is a shrine managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that enshrines the spirit of those who lost their lives for the nation due to war.
Every summer on the anniversary of the end of the war, many people and Japanese government officials come to worship.
✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼
靖国神社
正月も少し過ぎ落ち着いた早朝の時間
朝のランニングの途中に参拝に訪れました
鳥居をくぐると世界が変わります
国のために命を落とした御霊を祀る招魂社
今の平和な時代に我々が居られるのも自らの身を削り
敵と戦い国家の安定に尽くした多くの人々が居たからこそ
不合理で過酷な時代に生きた方に想いを馳せて
静かに手を合わせて神社を後にしました…
靖国神社に参拝に訪れる目的としては
新年の挨拶も念頭にありますが、
自分自身の希望や目標を願うというよりも
慰霊に敬意を表し感謝をする
という方が正しい目的と思われます…
神社内の空気感が変わるのはそんな人々が
我々の平和を見守ってくださる所以でしょうか…
✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼
Yasukuni Shrine, which was founded in 1869, is a shrine managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that enshrines the spirit of those who lost their lives for the nation due to war.
Every summer on the anniversary of the end of the war, many people and Japanese government officials come to worship.
✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼
靖国神社
正月も少し過ぎ落ち着いた早朝の時間
朝のランニングの途中に参拝に訪れました
鳥居をくぐると世界が変わります
国のために命を落とした御霊を祀る招魂社
今の平和な時代に我々が居られるのも自らの身を削り
敵と戦い国家の安定に尽くした多くの人々が居たからこそ
不合理で過酷な時代に生きた方に想いを馳せて
静かに手を合わせて神社を後にしました…
靖国神社に参拝に訪れる目的としては
新年の挨拶も念頭にありますが、
自分自身の希望や目標を願うというよりも
慰霊に敬意を表し感謝をする
という方が正しい目的と思われます…
神社内の空気感が変わるのはそんな人々が
我々の平和を見守ってくださる所以でしょうか…
✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼••┈┈••✼
Written 5 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shalli Ang
Singapore, Singapore764 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Small simple shrine. Husband wanted to visit after seeing the review online. I take the opportunity to admire the 2 sakura trees at the entrance of the shrine.
It was a short walk from Kudanshita station.
It was a short walk from Kudanshita station.
Written 24 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pedro de Pedra
Rotterdam, The Netherlands1,123 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
Before considering to visit this shrine I strongly suggest that you do some history investigation and thereafter some self reflection. As beautiful this place can be and as many common soldiers are honoured here, this shrine also honours 14 class A war criminals, the worst kind, of the Second World War. It is the Japanese variant of visiting an hypothetical monument honouring the Third Reich in Germany, including Hitler and Mengele. Would you consider visiting that on your trip to Berlin if it existed? The war museum on the premises is unpleasantly revisionist. That reviewers from countries that had civilians under the burden of Japan's war crimes non the less call this museum "an eye opening experience" and "fresh perspective", show the effects of propaganda. So unless the remains of these 14 war criminals are removed and the museum also acknowledges unbiasedly Japan's share in war agressions and crimes, it is better to avoid visiting this shrine altogether.
Written 17 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
happywanderer123
Singapore75 contributions
I went to the shrine and the museum next to it to see what the fuss is all about. You will see what stirs things up at the museum itself. Be mentally prepared for the justifications, rationalisations and excuses for World War 2. Examples: The US forced Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor and invade SE Asia because it was deprived of raw materials. Japan was creating an Asian "co-prosperity sphere" during the war. Japan has the credit for liberating the Asian nations from colonialism (complete with flags and photos of the newly independent nations). etc, etc. No wonder the neighbours are not happy.
In the museums of some countries, we can find interesting reflections of how history is viewed. The one in Ho Chih Ming showed the suffering of the common people and may convince you the immorality of war. In contrast, this one reminds you of Germany after World War One, still unsatisfied over how things turned out.
In the museums of some countries, we can find interesting reflections of how history is viewed. The one in Ho Chih Ming showed the suffering of the common people and may convince you the immorality of war. In contrast, this one reminds you of Germany after World War One, still unsatisfied over how things turned out.
Written 23 July 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yu Ra Kim
Bloomington, IN49 contributions
As an ethnic Korean whose extended family has suffered a lot during the occupation and the war, Yasukuni Shrine represents everything offensive about the current Japanese government. Facts are doctored in the museum, there are tributes to war criminals, there is even a memorial plaque to an Indian judge who had deemed the Tokyo Trials as "petty vengeance" against the Japanese by Allied forces. The fact that more Chinese people were killed by the Japanese than Jews by the Nazis is not even mentioned. So many facts are misrepresented here, and the fact that schools bring children here to learn from the wildly biased exhibits is sickening. I came here to learn the other side of the story, but I was so incensed by everything wrong about it all I had to leave early. At least I did not waste money on an admission fee.
Written 19 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redfoot
Sun City, AZ363 contributions
Sept 2011 • Solo
Quite knowledgeable about WWII, and a war veteran myself, I wanted to visit the museum for its presentation, see the artifacts, and find out what the fuss has been about. I saw a slick and dishonest presentation of Japan's role in WWII. There was absolutely no mention of its alliance with Nazi Germany, and no mention of its atrocities, well documented elsewhere. I see now why other Asian countries dislike this exhibit. Japan should be ashamed of itself for allowing the young people I saw visiting here to wallow in this revisionist history. It is not a "point of view" but a powerful lie.
Written 3 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LAL:London
Ware, UK207 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
The museum is well presented and has many English descriptions of the exhibits
This is a shrine to the military personnel who have died overseas in
past conflicts. As such I fully understood before I came what was here and was aware of the controversy surrounding this memorial.
We owe it to ALL military personnel on all sides to respect their service however
historical evidence needs to be in context of all events of the
relevant period
We owe it to future generations to pass on all that we learn from the
past and any personal sacrifice can have value if we collectively learn from
those events and learn from the mistakes made by all sides.
This memorial does a disservice to future generations by its lack of
context, questionable justification of many things and a
lack of integrity in presenting the facts.
No one covered themselves in glory in the conflict that ended in ‘45
least of all those that dropped the atom bombs however from that event
humanity learned their true horror and has so far never used them
again. As we get further from these events and those with first hand
testimony pass it falls to the next generation to honour them and pass
on what we have learned from them
This memorial fails completely to address "mistakes" made and therefore
has little relevance to the process I mention above. It seeks to justify the unjustifiable and goes beyond any remit that is purely to honour those that served their country.
The revision of history in many cases is also at best very sad, at worst one could see it as a corruption of historic events for current political purposes.
Warning. This shrine will offend many on the “other side” do not come
here unless you do so with an open mind and expect to be offended, as for sure you will !
Written by the son of a UK “vet” who’s father was at Okinawa and saw
what really happened
This is a shrine to the military personnel who have died overseas in
past conflicts. As such I fully understood before I came what was here and was aware of the controversy surrounding this memorial.
We owe it to ALL military personnel on all sides to respect their service however
historical evidence needs to be in context of all events of the
relevant period
We owe it to future generations to pass on all that we learn from the
past and any personal sacrifice can have value if we collectively learn from
those events and learn from the mistakes made by all sides.
This memorial does a disservice to future generations by its lack of
context, questionable justification of many things and a
lack of integrity in presenting the facts.
No one covered themselves in glory in the conflict that ended in ‘45
least of all those that dropped the atom bombs however from that event
humanity learned their true horror and has so far never used them
again. As we get further from these events and those with first hand
testimony pass it falls to the next generation to honour them and pass
on what we have learned from them
This memorial fails completely to address "mistakes" made and therefore
has little relevance to the process I mention above. It seeks to justify the unjustifiable and goes beyond any remit that is purely to honour those that served their country.
The revision of history in many cases is also at best very sad, at worst one could see it as a corruption of historic events for current political purposes.
Warning. This shrine will offend many on the “other side” do not come
here unless you do so with an open mind and expect to be offended, as for sure you will !
Written by the son of a UK “vet” who’s father was at Okinawa and saw
what really happened
Written 12 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A Tripadvisor member
Fukutsu, Japan
Is it okay to take photos? On the Yasukuni Shrine website it says they don't want people taking photos. Is that true?
Written 2 August 2018
You are not allowed to take photos of the shrine and most of the sections in the museum.
Written 4 August 2018
身内に軍属の輸送船の船員で昭和19年に台湾沖で米軍の潜水艦に撃沈され戦死しております。靖国神社に合祀されているかどうか調べる方法をお教えください。
Written 26 July 2018
もう解決してしまっていましたら申し訳ありませんが、敷地内の遊就館内に戦没者様の御写真や御名前などができる限り展示されて探す事ができるようになっているようでした。
見つかると良いですね
失礼いたしますm(__)m
Written 1 January 2019
É grátis. No entanto, a taxa de entrada para "Yushukan" é de \1000.
Written 2 October 2017
Can you still see the WWII Judy (& Ohka) aircraft and can you take photographs (for personal use)?
Written 2 July 2017
The shrine and the museum are separate. No restrictions on photos in the museum.
Written 2 July 2017
Hi!
Can you go inside Yasukuni shrine where the Shinto priests are praying? If so, can you give me information. Thanks
Written 22 April 2017
I don't think so. It is a very sacred place for the Japanese.
Written 23 April 2017
Sorry for the late reply! The shrine itself is free but the war museum that is located on shrine grounds are around $15 a person
Written 22 September 2016
G P
New York City, New York
Hi,
Can you take pets - a dog - into the shrine with you?
Thanks!
George
Written 5 March 2015
Depends on the shrine.
today ive seen many people bring there pets to local shrines for new years day.
But I would check website most major shrines have homepages these days.
Written 1 January 2020
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