Yasukuni Shrine, Shinto shrine in Kudankita, Tokyo, Japan
Yasukuni is a Shinto shrine in Kudankita, Tokyo, set on a large wooded site. The main hall follows Shinmei-zukuri construction, while the Yushukan Museum and several smaller structures stand elsewhere on the grounds.
Emperor Meiji founded the shrine in 1869 under the name Shokonsha to honor fallen soldiers. Ten years later the name changed to Yasukuni Jinja.
The shrine keeps no graves or ashes; the names, origins, birthdates and places of death of 2,466,532 people are recorded in a register called the Reijibo, copied onto the mirror that serves as the shrine's body. The name Yasukuni comes from a phrase in the Chinese classic Zuo Zhuan, chosen by Emperor Meiji in 1879.
Access is through Kudanshita Station on the Hanzomon, Tozai, and Shinjuku subway lines. The grounds open daily from 6 AM to 6 PM and entry is free.
The shrine keeps no ashes or grave tablets of the dead: names, military rank and honours are written by hand at night into a register called the Reijibo, then copied onto the mirror that serves as the shrine's body. Enshrinement is decided by the shrine and the authorities without prior consent from the family.
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