A bird flew over the Torii in Yasukuni Jinja

Torii and bird — Torii gate of Yasukuni Shrine

Yasukuni Shrine in Kudanshita, Tokyo, is a place that constantly invites debate. As a shrine dedicated to the war dead and military personnel, it remains a flashpoint of controversy both within Japan and abroad. Yet as I strolled along its approach, it felt as though time there flowed apart from such disputes. The breeze at my feet carried a trace of dampness, quietly announcing the approach of the rainy season. The stone-paved path of the shrine grounds was immaculately swept, a testament to the meticulous care of those who tend it.

Looking up, I caught sight of a bird crossing above the great torii. At first I thought it was a crow, but on closer look it seemed to be a pigeon. To them, of course, the torii is not a sacred gate but merely another waypoint in their flight path. What people revere and gaze up at with awe is, to a bird, little more than a “troublesome utility pole.” The torii at Yasukuni is made of copper and is said to have miraculously survived the air raids of Tokyo during the war. The birds, oblivious to such history, flap their wings as they please.

Visitors to the shrine each walk with their own intentions. Some come as tourists, others to offer sincere prayers. As for me, I had only dropped by as part of a casual walk, yet standing there beneath the torii, I could pretend to be contemplating something profound just like the rest. Against the backdrop of the sky, the torii takes on a solemn grandeur in photographs, but in reality, caught in a sudden summer storm, one would simply end up drenched beneath it. And so, for me, Yasukuni Shrine feels less like a sacred site and more like a place infused with everyday reality—a reminder that sanctity, too, must coexist with the mundane.

Yasukuni Jinja on Google Map

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