Ueno, a touch of Edo

You are in Tokyo, you need to find something to do for a day in weekend. How about Ueno Park?

1．Kiyomizu Kannon-do

It's on the way to Ueno Zoo from Ueno station, to the right hand side. This temple was also intended to take on Kiyomizu-dera, in Kyoto. Quite popular.  

 

The "Moon Pine" in the middle was the subject for the ukiyoe below, by Utagawa Hiroshige, famous Ukiyoe artist in Edo period. Hiroshige is famous for his landscape ukiyoes. The below is one from his series "Great Sites of Edo." It's interesting, Edo ukiyoes including one of Hiroshige's traveled all the way to Europe and influenced Van Gogh, Monet and other impressionist painters. 





This "Moon Pine" which Hiroshige portrayed was originally created by Edo period top gardener. The one we are seeing today was recreated by modern top gardener in 2012.

 

 

2. Benten-do

A temple you can see in the middle of Moon Pine above is Benten-do.

 

There is a curious urban legend in this Benden-do and Shinobazu-ike (Shinobazu pond). If you visit Benten-do and Shinobazu-ike with your boy friend/girl friend, you break up. Benten or Sarasvatī is one of the seven gods of good fortune and the only godess and if you visit here Benten gets jealous and break you up. There is a similar urban legend here and their in Japan but another famous place is Inogashira-Park. Similar origin, there is the Benten shrine.  

 

Don't forget to say hello to Benten-sama when you visit here...

 

3. Ueno Daibutsu (Ueno Great Budda)

 

Still on the way to Ueno zoo, this is the sign, says "Ueno Daibutsu." Unlike Kamakura Daibutsu or Nara Daibutsu, there is no big statue here. Only face of the great budda remains. Its head fell down in Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and during the World War II the rest of the head was taken away to fulfill military demand.   

 

Now it is worshipped especially by students who are anticipating exams. It has already fallen so you will never fail.

4. Ueno Toshogu

 

 

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the great shogun who established Tokugawa shognate which lasted for 265 years from 1603 now called Edo period, is enshrined in this place. It is a mini version of Nikko Toshogu.

 

 

A ema for this shrine is unique. An ema is a piece of wooden plate which you write your wishes and dedicate it to the shirine. You can see this only in shrines but it is quite common in shrines. The ema for Ueno Toshogu has a tanuki or a racoon on. Tokugawa Ieyasu's nickname is Tanuki for his cleverness so that's the reason why this shrine is putting Tanuki in its ema. There is a play of words, tanuki （狸） sounds the same as ta-nuki (他抜） or defeat the others. So this shrine is good for those who are in competition.

 

Hope I could write better ...