A sacred symbol in the Ueno Zoo
One of the most curious attractions on the grounds of the Ueno Zoo is not an animal but a towering five-story pagoda. The origins of this storied pagoda lie in the multi-tiered history of Ueno itself, dating back centuries to a time when this Buddhist monument was a part of the then-sprawling grounds of the Toeizan Kaneiji temple complex. Photo courtesy of the Tokyo Zoological Park Society
Five-storied pagoda seen in old postcards Photo courtesy of Ueno ToshoguUeno, a Global Capital of Culture
Under new management
The five-story pagoda was erected in 1631 as part of the Ueno Toshogu shrine, which was formerly part of the Kaneiji precinct. The 17th century was a time of religious syncretism in Japan, and it was not rare that the Toshogu, a Shinto shrine, should share its address with the Buddhist Kaneiji temple. However, after the Meiji Restoration, the new government saw Kaneiji with a less inclusive eye, regarding it as a symbol of the non-native religion of Buddhism, and merged it with the native Shinto Toshogu. The pagoda's previous association with the Toshogu would prove to be a saving grace. As other Buddhist monuments were being torn down across the nation amid mounting nationalist fervor, the pagoda was spared for our enjoyment in the present day, now kept up by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Image courtesy of the Ueno Toshogu
Five-storied pagoda of old black-and-white photographs courtesy of Ueno ToshoguUeno, a Global Capital of Culture
The five-story pagoda as seen on an old postcard
Image courtesy of the Ueno Toshogu
Five-storied pagoda at Ueno Zoo Photo courtesy of Tokyo Zoological Park SocietyUeno, a Global Capital of Culture
Why a pagoda in the zoo?
Rather than the pagoda being relocated into the zoo, it was the zoo that was built around the pagoda. The pagoda has not budged an inch over the centuries, despite being buffeted by the tempestuous winds of political and social upheaval. The land the zoo stands on was once part of the Toshogu and also the Kanshoin, a branch temple. To this day, the family grave of Takatora Todo, the feudal lord of Tsu who donated his own land upon which the Kanshoin was built, still exists in a corner of the Ueno Zoo, although it is off limits to the public.
Photo courtesy of the Tokyo Zoological Park Society
Hasui Kawase "Snow in Ueno Toshogu" Photo courtesy of Ueno ToshoguUeno, a Global Capital of Culture
A symbol of Ueno
Measuring 36 meters tall, with a boost from Ueno's hilly elevation, the five-story pagoda must have been an imposing sight on a Tokyo skyline devoid of skyscrapers. Hasui Kawase, an artist called ''the Hiroshige of the Showa era'' for his woodblock prints of Japan's landscapes, depicted the pagoda as one of the symbols of Ueno. ''Snow at Ueno Toshogu'' (1929) and ''Evening Glow in Spring'' (1948) show the Toshogu standing resolute, clouded in snow and cherry blossoms, unchanged by the great war and the test of time.
Hasui Kawase, ''Snow at Ueno Toshogu'' (Image courtesy of the Ueno Toshogu)
Courtesy of Implementation Committee for New Concept "Ueno, a Global Capital of Culture” (Ueno Cultural Park)
Text: Emi Iwamoto
Editing: Sayaka Tsukuda
