A five-storied pagoda of Ueno Toshogu, which was built in 1631 through a donation from Toshikatsu Doi, a feudal lord of the Sakura domain, was burnt down in 1639, and later reconstructed. Although a demolition of the pagoda was considered due to the Edict for Separation of Shintoism and Buddhism, it was regarded to belong to Kan-eiji Temple, so it was preserved, and still remains in the grounds of Ueno Zoological Gardens. It is 33 meters high, and statues of Yakushi, Amitabha, Maitreya and Shakyamuni are enshrined on the first floor. The pagoda was donated to the Tokyo metropolitan government in 1958. (continued in the lower column)
Ueno Zoological Gardens' Website (about the five-storied pagoda of Kan-eiji Temple)
Richly colored carved wooden panels and latticed shutters covered with black lacquer and gold leaves create a calm harmony amid a gorgeous atmosphere in the main building.
More than 200 relieves of animals and plants in fields and mountains are carved on the upper part of the see-through fence, and water creatures in seas and rivers on the lower part. It is considered that those relieves were richly colored when the main building was built. However, they were recoated with red lacquer when the building was repaired. During the restoration and conservation work conducted from 2009 to 2013, the relieves were colored ("Ikezaishiki") with the same mineral pigments as they were at the initial construction, referring to sculptures and paintings at that time. "Ikezaishiki" is a method to apply pigments to gold-leafed surfaces.
Gull
Lady Amherst's pheasant
Ueno Toshogu has many historically important cultural properties, including the main building, Chinese-style gate, see-through fence and archway. It is also well known for peonies. A peony garden was opened in its precincts in 1980, celebrating the Japan-China Friendship. The peony is a flower native to China, and has been called "the king of 100 flowers" since ancient times. It has been valued as an ornamental flower and medicine. It is said that the peony was introduced to Japan in the Nara Period, and descriptions of peonies appeared in the Pillow Book and the Gossamer Diary in the Heian Period.
About 70 varieties of peonies were planted when a Japanese-style tour garden opened. Now, 110 varieties of 600 peonies bloom in spring, and 40 varieties of 200 peonies in winter. Especially, "Mariomo," a green peony, "Nikyo," a peony with two types of flower colors, and "Togawakan," a winter peony, are the rarest varieties among others. Now, in addition to Chinese and Japanese varieties, American and European varieties have been added.
Togawakan
"Ueno Toshogu" (1929) by Hasui Kawase
Hasui Kawase, who was called "Hiroshige in the Showa Period," depicted a snow scene of Ueno Toshogu. He started a new woodblock print movement, aiming to revive ukiyo-e woodblock prints that had declined in the Taisho and Showa Periods. (Owned by Ueno Toshogu)
Five-storied pagoda in Ueno Zoological Gardens
Japanese catalpa
It is said that this Japanese catalpa (a high deciduous tree) was planted in 1651 when the main building was built in hope of protecting the building from lightning. It still bears pale yellow flowers in summer after more than 390 years of its planting.
Large camphor tree, a sacred tree
This large camphor tree is more than 600 years old and about 25 meters high, and its trunk circumference is about 8 meters. It has watched this place from long before Toshogu was built.
Fire of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Tatsuo Yamamoto in Hoshino Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, survived the wartime destructions in Hiroshima, brought back fire that was burning at his uncle's devastated house, and kept the fire burning in hope of maintaining peace. Hoshino Village has still kept the fire burning as "Fire of Peace." Later, "Fire of Hiroshima" ignited from "Fire of Peace" and "Fire of Nagasaki" ignited from a tile exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb were transferred to a monument in the precincts of Ueno Toshogu in 1990, the year of 45th anniversary of nuclear bombing, and the fire has been kept burning as the oath of peace.
"Ueno Toshogu" (1929) by Hasui Kawase
Hasui Kawase, who was called "Hiroshige in the Showa Period," depicted a snow scene of Ueno Toshogu. He started a new woodblock print movement, aiming to revive ukiyo-e woodblock prints that had declined in the Taisho and Showa Periods. (Owned by Ueno Toshogu)
Five-storied pagoda in Ueno Zoological Gardens
Japanese catalpa
It is said that this Japanese catalpa (a high deciduous tree) was planted in 1651 when the main building was built in hope of protecting the building from lightning. It still bears pale yellow flowers in summer after more than 390 years of its planting.
Large camphor tree, a sacred tree
This large camphor tree is more than 600 years old and about 25 meters high, and its trunk circumference is about 8 meters. It has watched this place from long before Toshogu was built.
Fire of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Tatsuo Yamamoto in Hoshino Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, survived the wartime destructions in Hiroshima, brought back fire that was burning at his uncle's devastated house, and kept the fire burning in hope of maintaining peace. Hoshino Village has still kept the fire burning as "Fire of Peace." Later, "Fire of Hiroshima" ignited from "Fire of Peace" and "Fire of Nagasaki" ignited from a tile exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb were transferred to a monument in the precincts of Ueno Toshogu in 1990, the year of 45th anniversary of nuclear bombing, and the fire has been kept burning as the oath of peace.