Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) is open every day, and the gates follow daylight: it opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, so the hours change by month.
On the official schedule, the typical gate hours are:
December: 6:40 am–4:00 pm
January: 6:40 am–4:20 pm
February: 6:20 am–4:50 pm
If you’re visiting around New Year’s, Meiji Jingu often extends hours and may stay open overnight for hatsumode, so check the New Year notice for the exact dates.
Closing time
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) closes at sunset, so the closing time changes by month.
For the official monthly gate closing times:
December: 4:00 pm
January: 4:20 pm
February: 4:50 pm
If you’re visiting around New Year’s (Hatsumode), the shrine can run extended hours and sometimes stays open overnight, so check the New Year notice for the exact dates you plan to go.
Closed days
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) itself has no regular closed days. The precinct is open every day throughout the year, with the gates opening at sunrise and closing at sunset, so the exact closing time shifts by month.
If what you really mean is “are any parts of Meiji Jingu closed,” some facilities inside the grounds do have their own holidays. The Meiji Jingu Museum, for example, is closed on Thursdays, so it’s worth checking that separately from the shrine gate hours.
Meiji shrine lastentry
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) doesn’t set a separate “last entry” time for the shrine grounds. Your last entry is simply before the gates close, because Meiji Jingu opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, and the gate times change by month.
As a quick feel for timing, the official schedule shows winter closing in the late afternoon (for example, 4:00 pm in December, 4:20 pm in January, 4:50 pm in February), while summer closing is much later (for example, 6:30 pm in June).
If you mean last entry for paid facilities inside the precinct, that’s different. The Meiji Jingu Museum’s official hours are 10:00 am–4:30 pm, with last admission at 4:00 pm.
The Inner Garden also stops entry earlier than closing time; major guides note admission ends 30 minutes before closing, and Meiji Jingu’s New Year notice also uses the “30 minutes before closing” rule for facility last entry during that period.
Meiji shrine packing
If you’re thinking about Meiji Shrine packing, the best approach is to keep it simple and light. Meiji Jingu is a huge, wooded precinct with long gravel paths, so comfortable walking shoes matter more than anything. The shrine gates open with sunrise and close with sunset, which means your timing can change depending on the month, so having a small day bag you can carry easily makes the whole visit smoother.
One important detail people miss is luggage storage. Meiji Jingu’s official Q&A says there’s nowhere to store suitcases inside the grounds, so if you’re coming straight from the airport or a hotel checkout, it’s smarter to use a station locker before you arrive rather than trying to manage a big case on the shrine paths.
Because it’s a sacred place, pack with etiquette in mind. The shrine asks visitors to preserve the dignity of the grounds, to eat, drink, or smoke only in designated areas, and not to take photos or videos at the main sanctuary where people are praying. Drones are also not allowed, so leave anything like that behind.
Seasonal comfort is the last piece. In summer, the forested setting can mean insects, so a light layer and something to handle mosquito bites can save your mood, while in winter the shaded paths can feel colder than you expect for central Tokyo. If you plan to include the Meiji Jingu Museum, remember it has its own hours and last admission time, so you don’t get caught arriving too late.
Meiji shrine admissiondays
Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) has no “admission days” in the sense of specific days it’s open, because the shrine precinct is open every day throughout the year and entry is free.
What changes is the gate time. Meiji Jingu opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, so the exact hours depend on the month you visit. The official site publishes a month-by-month schedule (for example, winter closes earlier and summer closes later).
If you’re planning to include facilities inside the grounds, note that some of them have their own closing days even though the shrine itself is open daily; for instance, the Meiji Jingu Museum has a separate schedule.
