We tend to think of shrines and temples in Asian countries as being places that encourage discipline and hard work. It is not atypical to envision a temple or shrine atop a mountain with a ten-thousand-step staircase leading up to it, making it so that only the most dedicated worshipers make it to the sacred ground.

In reality, it’s not like that in Japan, at least not typically. Many shrines in fact are at the top of a few flights of stairs, but it’s usually not quite as challenging as the stereotypes make out.

Nevertheless, when I visited the shrine at Tameike-sanno in central Tokyo yesterday with Sachi, I saw something I did not at all expect: escalators leading up to the shrine! Three of them, no less–two large ones, and then a smaller one at the top (you can just see the second big escalator above the staircase at center). Vehicular access was at the rear.

The traditional-shrine/modern-artifact contrasts didn’t end there, however–once you get into the shrine’s courtyard, you are immediately reminded of the shrine’s location (Akasaka district, neat the US embassy and lots of big businesses), as seen in the photo below, with the Prudential Building looming in the background.

The final surprise came when Sachi and I went to offer prayers at the front of the shrine. I saw something I had never seen before: a wedding in progress, right inside the shrine, clearly visible to anyone and everyone who came up to throw in coins, shake the thick rope with the big bell on top, clap their hands twice, and then pray. On the pretext of taking a photo of Sachi praying, I got this in the photo, cropped to show detail.

Pretty cool, actually. Just surprising to me.