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Yasukuni Shrine - Tokyo Hotels .com

Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo

Built in 1869 to honor Japanese casualties of war, for most of the year the Yasukuni Shrine is a private place of mourning for the friends and families who come to pay their respects to their loved ones who died in World War II. The Yushukan is the shrine's war memorial museum that documents the rise and fall of the samurai through the first and second world wars, as well as Japan's military involvement throughout Asia.

The museum also houses an impressive collection of samurai armor, military uniforms, and weaponry, as well as numerous photographs of the war dead, some very young. Somber and haunting, these images are a stark contrast to the beautiful cherry blossoms for which the Yasukuni Shrine is known, and the numerous striking floral arrangements and bonsai that enliven the grounds.

The Yasukuni Shrine is located in the Kanda (Kanda-Akihabara) area, about three minutes from the Kudanshita station.

URL: http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/index.html