Ueno

Ueno Park

Nishiki-e and Paintings

世事画報 2(7)

清親畫帖 [1]

清親畫帖 [2]

清親畫帖 [3]

[上野公園の図]

東京名所 [3]

東京名所 [4]

Photos

東京景色写真版

日本百景上 2版

日本名所帖

Shinobazu no ike Pond

A pond located in the southwest of present day Ueno Park. It was once an inlet to Tokyo Bay, however it is said that it became a pond when the inlet receded sometime during the Heian Period. When the Kan’ei-ji Temple was constructed, the temple's sango (honorific mountain name prefixed to a temple's name) was named Toeizan modeled on Mt. Hie, and this pond was likened to Lake Biwa and Nakajima Island was constructed in imitation of Chikubujima Island in Lake Biwa, and Bentendo was established. There are many theories on the name, including one that the name comes from Shinobugaoka and another that small bamboo called shino grew around the area in a circle, and so it was called "shinowazu" (circle of small bamboo) which was altered to become the name. It is a particularly beautiful sight in the summer and was called "Shoseiko" (little Saiko Lake) by writers. It is a famous spot for lotus and hasumesi (the soft portions of lotus leaves cut fine, rubbed with salt and served mixed in with rice) was served at the teahouse here.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

池の端

〔江戸高名会亭尽〕　〔池之端〕

名所江戸百景　上野山内月のまつ

東都名所　上野山王山清水観音堂花見不忍之池全図中島弁財天社

江戸不忍弁天ヨリ東叡山ヲ見ル図

江戸八景不忍池の落鳫

〔江都名所〕

東都名所不忍之池

東都花暦　不忍蓮

江戸名勝図会　不忍弁天

Photos

東京景色写真版

旅の家つと第２９都の巻

日本之勝観

最新東京名所写真帖

東京風景

Other Materials

不忍池（本文）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
忍ばずの池　中島弁財天社（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
不忍池蓮見（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）

Kanei-ji Temple

A temple of the Tendai Buddhist Sect. Founded in 1625. The temple was named Kan’ei in connection with the era in which it was constructed. The sango (honorific mountain name prefixed to a temple's name) is Toeizan (Meaning eastern Mt. Hiei) and the ingo (a title given to a Buddhist temple) is Endon’in. The monk Tenkai, who built the Toshogu Shrine at Mt. Nikko, was granted land in Edo Shinobugaoka by the Shogunate government where he constructed the temple with the name Toeizan being transferred from Toeizan Kitain Shrine in Kawagoe, Musashi Province. Thereafter, the Toshogu Shrine, which enshrined Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Kiyomizu Kannondo Temple which imitated the Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera Temple, were constructed, flourishing under the protection of the Shogunate government. The area was also successful as a site for pleasure trips as well as a famous spot for cherry blossoms. This began with the transplant of cherry blossoms from Yoshino by Tenkai who loved cherry blossoms. In 1868, the area became a battlefield between Shogitai (anti-government group) and government forces, and most of the temples were burnt to ashes. This area is present day Ueno Park.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

上野

江戸名所発句合之内　上野

東都花暦　上野清水之桜

名所江戸百景　上野清水堂不忍ノ池

江戸名所上野東叡山境内

東都名所　上野東叡山全図

東都名所　上野東叡山ノ図

江戸名所上野仁王門之図

上野の桜かり

江戸八景　上野の晩鐘

Other Materials

東叡山寛永寺（本文）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
東叡山寛永寺[其一]（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
東叡山寛永寺其二（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
東叡山寛永寺其三（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
東叡山寛永寺其四（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
東叡山寛永寺其五（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）
清水堂花見図（挿絵）　『江戸名所図会 7巻』（1834）

Ueno Hirokoji

The area around the present day Ueno Park (the former Kan’ei-ji Temple). Ueno Hirokoji is the area from the entrance to present day Ueno Park to Matsuzakaya. After the Great Fire of Meireki (1657), the street width was widened and the area was made into a firebreak. This was a shopping quarter lined with grocery stores, restaurants and other shops along the route of the Onarimichi (a special road used by the imperial family, regents and advisers and the shogun) successive Shoguns throughout history when they went to worship at the Kan’ei-ji Temple. At the intersection of the present day Chuo St. and Shinobazu St. the Shinobu-gawa River flowed, and there were 3 bridges over it so the area was called Mihashi (three bridges). Matsuzakaya and Mihashi were both pictured in nishiki-e. Yamashita (below mountain) refers to being beneath Toeizan. It was located in the area within the present day JR Ueno Station building and the plaza in front of the station. In 1737 it was made into a firebreak after a fire, and became an amusement district with stores and entertainment booths rather than a residential area.