There are various large shrines and temples in significant places; the Meiji Jingu located in Yoyogi park, or the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa are a few examples. These ones are larger and more publicized for public viewing and visiting, but even aside from that, many smaller and unknown-names ones dot the streets all over Tokyo. Down the hill from the dorm, halfway to the train station, there is a small shrine up a very long, steep flight of stairs. It is very simple, with only a torii gate at the bottom of the stairs, and a small prayer altar at the top. Another slighter larger shrine in a small park that we visited was in Hakusan; kitsune statues guarded the shrines and torii gates.
The atmosphere that was around the shrines and temples appeared to be directly affected by time of day, more so than the number of visitors. Night versus day has a really strong influence on the feeling of the shrine; daytime makes the entirety peaceful and welcoming whereas nighttime makes it seem like something out of a Japanese horror game or movie. (The one shrine at nighttime literally looked like something out of Fatal Frame; really super spooky. We probably got cursed wandering around that time of night. Oh well.)
Shrines appear in abundance, but the Buddhist temples that neighbour them are also in vast numbers. With Japan having experienced a growth of uniqueness to their culture from the Isolation Policy, the blend of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs make for something very interesting; many shrines are neighboured or are in the same park area as temples. Seeing these quiet places in the middle of a bustling city - even in the neighbourhoods outside of the main downtown-city hub - really throws contrast to the old and new traditions present in Japan.
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