Kan'ei-ji

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Kan'ei-ji, whose property once expanded over the whole surface of Ueno Park, used to be the Bodaiji (family temple) of the Shogunate Tokugawa family. However, its size decreased significantly after the devastating damage caused by the civil war. Nevertheless, even today it is an important cultural heritage of Japan and has graves of six Shogun; it is an essential piece of Japanese history. The melancholic air, a result of going through ups and downs, is a unique characteristic of Kan'ei-ji that cannot easily be found elsewhere.

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Kiyomizu Kannondo

Kiyomizu Kannondo, modeled after Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, has had a long history since its construction in 1631. The temple itself is well worth seeing; however, it is most famous for the Tsuki No Matsu, a pine tree shaped like a moon. It was regrown 150 years after the original was destroyed in the Meiji era.

(Source: 下町が好き)

Aoi-no-ma

This is the location where Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Edo era's last Shogun, was under house arrest to demonstrate his lack of hostility towards the Japanese emperor. It is known to be an important location in Japan's history. One could only imagine the hardships of the Shogun back then.

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Old Kan'ei-Ji Pagoda

The Old Kan'ei-Ji Pagoda is currently located inside Ueno Park Zoo. As the name suggests, it was once located on Kan'ei-ji's property, which shows how large the property used to be. It gives out a melancholic impression, perhaps because it no longer is part of Kan'ei-ji.