Ueno Toshogu Shrine【Tokyo】

【Summary】

Ueno Toshogu Shrine was built in 1627 and is located in Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo. It is designated as a National Important Cultural Property as it is an early Edo Period building that miraculously remained undamaged and unbroken through battles at the end of the Edo Period, the Great Kanto Earthquake, and during the recent World War II.

Toshogu is a shrine that enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tosho Daigongen) as a deity, and there are many of them throughout Japan, including in Nikko. Ueno Toshogu is considered to be one of the three most important Toshogu shrines in Japan, apart from Nikko Toshogu and Kunouzan Toshogu, and the other three are Yomogoriyama Toshogu, Takiyama Toshogu, Shiba Toshogu, Serada Toshogu, Senba Toshogu, and this Ueno Toshogu. Ueno Toshogu was built for those who could not travel to Nikko to visit the shrine.

2023年6月16日 久能山東照宮【静岡県】

2023年7月6日 紀州東照宮【和歌山県】

【premises】

The shrine pavilions are relatively small in size, but the ornate decorations are eye-catching and reminiscent of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The shrine is built in the Gongen-zukuri style, with a hall of worship, a hall of prayer (Ishi-no-ma), and the main hall. Although the shrine pavilions are decorated with gold leaf, the interior is not open to the public. Admission is 500 yen for adults and is available from the left side of the shrine.

【scenery】

The stone lanterns erected along the approach to the temple are also beautiful, each with a slightly different design. They are said to be one of the three largest stone lanterns in Japan. The store by the entrance of Toshogu Shrine has a retro atmosphere.

The five-story pagoda of the former Kan-eiji Temple, located in Ueno Onshi Park, was donated in 1631 by Toshikatsu Doi, an important vassal in the early days of the Edo shogunate, when he built Toshogu Shrine. It was burnt down in 1639, and the current pagoda was donated in 1958. The entire five-story structure is in the Japanese style, and the height to the ninth ring is approximately 36 m. It is designated as an important cultural property. It is possible to see it over the fence from the approach to Ueno Toshogu Shrine, but to see it up close, visitors must enter the Ueno Zoo.

【letter bearing the shogun’s scarlet seal】

Ueno Toshogu limited red seal spread: 1,000 yen

【Nearby attractions】

2023年12月3日 Shinobazunoike Benteng-do [Tokyo]

【Access】