Yasukuni Shrine (Yasukuni Jinja) Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Yasukuni Shrine (Yasukuni Jinja). Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Tokyo Private Car Tour: Professional Guide and Driver/Optional Airport Xfer

• Modern Japanese History Tour in Tokyo

• Tokyo City Cherry Blossom Private Sightseeing Tour

• Tokyo Private Half-Day Tour by Car with Local Guide

• Yasukuni Shrine and Yushukan Museum Private Guided Tour

The Yasukuni Shrine itself is free to enter, as are the attractive grounds, which are an especially popular place to see cherry blossoms in spring. However, the attached Yushukan Museum, which presents a conservative Japanese perspective of World War II history, costs ¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for college students, and ¥300 for senior and junior high school-aged students.

The Yasukuni Shrine is open daily from 6am until 6pm for most of the year, and until 5pm in winter (November through February). These opening hours may sometimes vary due to festivals or other events. The Yushukan Museum is open from 9am until 4.30pm, with last admission 30 minutes before closing time.

The Yasukuni Shrine is in central Tokyo, just northwest of the Imperial Palace, and is easy to reach from other parts of the city by public transportation. The closest station is Kudanshita on the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines. From there, the shrine is about a 5-minute walk to the west. Iidabashi and Ichigaya stations are also within easy walking distance.

Yes, visitors are permitted to take photos for personal use within the Yasukuni Shrine premises, but not within the shrine buildings. You’ll need permission to take photos for journalistic or commercial purposes. As this is an active place of worship, be mindful not to interrupt daily activities and be considerate of worshipers—do not photograph anyone without their explicit permission.

Yes, you can take a guided tour of the Yasukuni Shrine, but you’ll need to arrange these privately with a tour operator as the shrine itself doesn’t offer guided tours. Some guided tours of Tokyo include a stop at this shrine, whereas others focus solely on the shrine and its attached museum. Guided tours with a local guide are a good way to learn more about the shrine, especially its controversial history.