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Published: December 1st 2008
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Ueno Park - Ueno, Tokyo, Japan
Ueno Park (上野公園, Ueno Kōen) is a spacious public park located in the Ueno section of Tokyo, Japan. Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, built the Kanei-ji temple and subtemples here in the 17th century to negate evil spirits that might threaten from the northeast. Judging by how long the Tokugawas lasted, it was a wise move. In 1873, five years after the Battle of Ueno, when the last supporters of the shogun were crushed by Imperial forces, the government designated Ueno a public park.
Sites located in Ueno Park that I visited included Saigo Takamori Statue, The Tomb of the Shogi Tai, Gojo Shrine, The Great Buddhist Pagoda, Tosho-gu Shrine, Kiyo-mizu Hall, and the Tokyo National Museum. Today it was another cold, rainy day so I tried to pick sites where we could either be inside or find cover easily in case it started to rain hard. Ueno Park proved to be a good choice.
Entering Ueno Park from the south, I first saw the statue of Saigo Takamori. Saigo Takamori is a popular, local hero and leader of the Meiji Restoration, which brought an end to Japan's feudal age in 1868.
Discontent with the ways of the new Meiji government, however, Saigo Takamori became the leader of the unsuccessful, anti-government Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 which ended in his suicide. He was posthumously pardoned, and this statue was erected in 1899.
Just past the statue of Saigo Takamori was The Tomb of the Shogi Tai. From a sign at the tomb, here's the information I gathered on why there is a monument for them (the translation is a bit odd): There was a war called the Ueno War around here in May 15, 1868. It delimited the Edo Period and the Meiji Restoration. In this war, a soldier group of Tokugawa persons' (old government) named Shogi-tai fought against the army of the new government and was defeated. Okisato Ogawa and his comrades, who were the survivors of Shogi-tai, obtained the permission of the Meiji government at last in 1874 and built a graveyard of killed soldiers. Afterwards, the graveyard of Shogi-tai was preserved by the Ogawa clan for over 120 years, and succeeded by Tokyo Metropolitan government in 2003. We learn of the history of the Ueno War thanks to such an effort now.
Kiyo-mizu Kannon-Do wasn't anything particularily awesome
in my opinion. It was basically just a building I could walk past and snap photos. It was originally founded 1631 as part of an ambitious plan to establish a great Buddhist temple complex in Edo (Tokyo) and to provide spiritual defense from the northeast, the direction from which evil spirits were thought to come (haha...silliness). The hall is celebrated for the cherry blossoms in its vicinity and supposedly the view (which I didn't think was all that great).
The next site I visited in Ueno Park was the Gojo Shrine. As is usual with shrines dedicated to Inari, the shinto god/goddess of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry, and worldly success, the enterance was adorned with a series of red torii (gates). The shrine was also decorated with red-bibbed inari fox statues. Because rice is such an important staple of Japanese cuisine, Irani shrine are very prevalent throughout the country. According to a 1985 survey by the National Association of Shinto Shrines, 32,000 shrines — more than one-third of Shinto shrines in Japan — are dedicated to Inari.
Going just a bit futher north in the park, we climbed some steps to the Great Buddhist Pagoda which was
built in 1967. A Buddha statue formerly stood on the site; only its head remains. From what Edwin told me, the size of the Buddha head was miniscule to those found in China.
Tosho-gu Shrine was in the western park of Ueno Park. The pathway leading up to the Shrine was lined with 256 bronze and stone lanterns which were the gifts of various Daimyos. The Shrine, which is one of Tokyo's few remaing Edo-period structures, was founded in 1627 in memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he was originally enshrined here but was later reburied at Nikko. A flame from the fires of the atomic bombs of Nagasaki and Hiroshima is also burning here. The sign at the flame said the following:
The Origin of "the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki"
On August 6, 1945, US forces dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and another on Nagasaki on August 9 the same year, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in an instant. Even now, many survivors are still suffering from the damage.
Sometime later, Tatsuo Yamamoto went to Hiroshima in search of his uncle, and found a flame of the atomic
bomb burning in the ruins of his uncle's house. He brought it back to Hoshino-mura, his hometown in a memento of his uncle and an expression of his resentment. But years went by, the meaning of the flame turned into a symbol of his desire for abolition of nuclear weapons and for peace. Hoshino-mura built and torch and transferred the flame to it on August 6, 1968. It has been keeping the flame ever since as the flame for peace, with the support of the villagers.
"The use of nuclear weapons will destroy the whole human race and civilization. ...The elimination of nuclear weapons...has become the most urgent and crucial for the very survival for the whole of humanity. There must never be another Hiroshima anywhere on earth. There must never be another Nagasaki anywhere on earth." - Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, issued in February 1951.
In 1988, a flame was taken from the torch and was merged with another flame lit by the friction of broken roofing tiles of Nagasaki. Along with 30 million signatures collected in support of the "Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki", it was carried to the Third Special Session of the UN
General Assembly for Disarmament taking place in New York City.
In April the same year, members of "Shitamachi People Association" put forward the idea of lighting the flame at the precinct of Ueno Toshogu Shrine in Tokyo. Rev. Shozen Saga, the chief priest, warmly welcomed the proposal, and promised to set up a monument and work together to keep the flame burning.
In April 1989, an "Association for the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Lit at Ueno Toshogu" was founded with the people of wide ranigng people. Tens of thousands of people took part in the fundraising for over one year and the construction of the monument was completed on July 21, 1990.
In commemoration of the 45th year of the A-Bomb tragedies, a flame of Hiroshima was taken from the Hoshino-mura and lit at the monument on August 6, and a flame of Nagasaki, generated by the friction of Nagasaki roofing tiles, was also added to the monument.
We hereby pledge to keep burning the A-Bomb flame, convinced that this monument should contribute to strengthening the worldwide people's movement to abolish nuclear weapons and achieve peace, which is the most urgent task for the people
across the borders. - August 1990, Association for the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Lit at Ueno Toshogu
Another notable site in my journey was a five-story pagoda. It dated from the 17th century and is a survivor from the original Kanei-ji temple complex. Today is stands in the grounds of Ueno Zoo so I wasn't able to get very close to it. I snapped a few photos of it from the enterance way to Tosho-gu Shrine.
The Tokyo National Museum was situated in the northernmost part of Ueno Park. The museum has over 110,000 items, making it the best assembly of Japanese art in the world. My favorite exhibits within the museum pertained to lifesize Buddhist statues (because they were very animated), samurai swords and armor, kabuki theatre costumes, and the Japanese scrolls and wood block prints. I probably spent about 3 hours at the museum and by the time I had been through the exhibits, my tolerance for museums was maxed out. I would highly recommend the museum to anyone interested in Asian art though.
More photos: http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u53/kimdupak/Japan/Tokyo%20-%20Ueno%20Park%20-%2028%20Nov%202008/
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