Tokyo, 25th Feb. 2014 (WAM) -- His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today a glimpse of Japan ancient history, visiting the Meiji Shrine and learned about the history and life of the great Emperor as part of his two-day state visit to Japan.
Emperor Meiji (November 3, 1852 ? July 30, 1912), or Meiji the Great was the 122nd Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from February 3, 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912. He presided over a time of rapid change in the Empire of Japan, as the nation quickly changed into world power, characterized by Japan's industrial revolution. By the time of his death in 1912, Japan had undergone a political, social, and industrial revolution at home and emerged as one of the great powers on the world stage. Sheikh Mohamed was informed about the Shrine building at Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the spirit of Emperor Meiji. Construction began in 1915 and completed in 1920. Meiji Shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of 700,000 square-meters (about 175 acres). This area is covered by an evergreen forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. The forest is visited by many as a recreation and relaxation area in the center of Tokyo. Sheikh Mohamed, who was accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, and HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, took a tour of the shrine which is composed of two major areas:Naien: is the inner precinct, which is centered on the shrine buildings and includes a treasure museum that houses articles of the Emperor and Empress. Gaien: is the outer precinct, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery that houses a collection of 80 large murals illustrative of the events in the lives of the Emperor and his consort. It also includes a variety of sports facilities, including the National Stadium, and the Meiji Memorial Hall.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2014.
