Q: Could you tell us about the reason you restored the Tsuki no Matsu? It seems like the place around the Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple was also arranged.
At first, the biggest reason was that I wanted to restore the scene of the Edo Era. I wanted to bring back the scene of the Edo for the first time in 150 years. We had no idea if we could fulfill this goal at that time, but we were somehow able to restore the Tsuki no Matsu by now. We weren’t able to make just the same scene as is drawn in the Ukiyo-e from the Edo Era, but there are some people visiting this place hearing about the restored Tsuki no Matsu. Even though the believer of our temple has not been grown, the visitors have grown up to around 120 percent. The increased numbers will be around 200 thousand people to 300 thousand people, so it means a lot.
Also, since the Bentendou in the Shinobazu-no-ike pond can be seen from the ring of the Tsuki no Matsu, many people take pictures at the place. There used to be a wooded area around the temple, but since we have cut these trees recently, Shinobazu-no-ike pond became able to be seen.
Q: Shinobazu-no-ike pond was once reclaimed because of the exhibitions in the Edo Era. Where did the Tsuki no Matsu, that was restored, used to be in those days?
Well, the lake wasn’t all been reclaimed to be a land, but partly, it became to be a racetrack and some exhibitions has been held and the lake was shrunk a little. Tsuki no Matsu used to be in the side of the Shinobazunoike pond until the beginning of the Meiji Era, however it was collapsed because of the typhoon. In those days, the place Tsuki no Matsu used to be was in under control of the nation. Therefore, it was impossible to be restored. (continued in the right column)
Tsuki no Matsu(The pine tree of the Moon) that are planted in the precinct yard
At first, the biggest reason was that I wanted to restore the scene of the Edo Era. I wanted to bring back the scene of the Edo for the first time in 150 years. We had no idea if we could fulfill this goal at that time, but we were somehow able to restore the Tsuki no Matsu by now. We weren’t able to make just the same scene as is drawn in the Ukiyo-e from the Edo Era, but there are some people visiting this place hearing about the restored Tsuki no Matsu. Even though the believer of our temple has not been grown, the visitors have grown up to around 120 percent. The increased numbers will be around 200 thousand people to 300 thousand people, so it means a lot.
Also, since the Bentendou in the Shinobazu-no-ike pond can be seen from the ring of the Tsuki no Matsu, many people take pictures at the place. There used to be a wooded area around the temple, but since we have cut these trees recently, Shinobazu-no-ike pond became able to be seen.
Q: Shinobazu-no-ike pond was once reclaimed because of the exhibitions in the Edo Era. Where did the Tsuki no Matsu, that was restored, used to be in those days?
Well, the lake wasn’t all been reclaimed to be a land, but partly, it became to be a racetrack and some exhibitions has been held and the lake was shrunk a little. Tsuki no Matsu used to be in the side of the Shinobazunoike pond until the beginning of the Meiji Era, however it was collapsed because of the typhoon. In those days, the place Tsuki no Matsu used to be was in under control of the nation. Therefore, it was impossible to be restored. (continued in the right column)
Tsuki no Matsu(The pine tree of the Moon) that are planted in the precinct yard
Q: How did you make the restored Tsuki no Matsu?
It has been 10 years since I became to be a manager of the Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple. I felt that to reconstruct the shape can be at least possible, when I once asked to the landscape garden designer. There were already skills to make Tsuki no Matsu in the end of the Edo Era. Not to kill the trees, the core of it has been pulled out a little, and shaved into a round shape. The branches that should hang down because of the gravity, has been shaved. There is a person who still have this skill in Chiba, but since there were difficulties in determining the price, we asked the gardener we knew to shave it round 5 to 6 years ago, and it took 3 and a half years to fulfill this request. 4 trees were made but 2 of them were dead. Tsuki no Matsu is one of these two trees that was successfully made.
A dwarf potted tree sent by the believer of the temple.
Q: Have you referred to the Ukiyo-e of Hiroshige Utagawa made when you restored the garden?
We did refer to it. It is said that this Ukiyo-e was made for the reconstruction from the big earthquake in 1854 and was drawn in around 1856 to 1858. The Ukiyo-e “Meisho Edo Hyakkei” was made to be sold. People were aiming to use the money to reconstruct the Edo. Therefore, it was after the big earthquake when the work was made and the atmosphere might have been different from what it should be. Since the Tsuki no Matsu we restored was also made after the big Tohoku earthquake in March 11th, we have sent some money that the visitors gave to the temple to the areas affected by the earthquake for the reconstruction.
It has been 10 years since I became to be a manager of the Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple. I felt that to reconstruct the shape can be at least possible, when I once asked to the landscape garden designer. There were already skills to make Tsuki no Matsu in the end of the Edo Era. Not to kill the trees, the core of it has been pulled out a little, and shaved into a round shape. The branches that should hang down because of the gravity, has been shaved. There is a person who still have this skill in Chiba, but since there were difficulties in determining the price, we asked the gardener we knew to shave it round 5 to 6 years ago, and it took 3 and a half years to fulfill this request. 4 trees were made but 2 of them were dead. Tsuki no Matsu is one of these two trees that was successfully made.
A dwarf potted tree sent by the believer of the temple.
Q: Have you referred to the Ukiyo-e of Hiroshige Utagawa made when you restored the garden?
We did refer to it. It is said that this Ukiyo-e was made for the reconstruction from the big earthquake in 1854 and was drawn in around 1856 to 1858. The Ukiyo-e “Meisho Edo Hyakkei” was made to be sold. People were aiming to use the money to reconstruct the Edo. Therefore, it was after the big earthquake when the work was made and the atmosphere might have been different from what it should be. Since the Tsuki no Matsu we restored was also made after the big Tohoku earthquake in March 11th, we have sent some money that the visitors gave to the temple to the areas affected by the earthquake for the reconstruction.