A woodland forest and Shinto shrine in busy Tokyo

Just steps from one of the busiest, most modern parts of Tokyo, it's a soothing surprise to feel like you're in the heart of a primeval forest. It's maybe a bigger surprise to learn that the trees are not at all as ancient as they feel.

Slip out of the crowds in Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood and head into the grounds of Meiji Jingu shrine and you'll immediately find yourself walking through a woodland of enormous trees. At first, the raucous bird cries and the sound of the wind in the branches competes with noise from the nearby Yamanote Line train station.

Gradually, though, the sounds of the modern world fade as you walk along the wide path. With lots of broad-leaf evergreens, there's green here even in cold seasons. If this forest doesn't convert you to the ancient Japanese belief that spirits dwell in features of nature like large trees, at least you'll understand why they felt that way.