Park Views in Northeast Tokyo: “Kiyomizu Hall and Shinobazu Pond at Ueno”

In spring, Tokyo’s Ueno Park fills with visitors drawn by the blossoming cherry trees. On the south side of the park stands the Kiyomizu Kannon-dō, where at the height of the season the pale crimson of the cherry blossoms and the vermillion of the temple’s stage contrast beautifully with the green of the nearby pine trees.
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One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Kichiya, the Ukiyo Photographer: Today’s Tokyo Through Hiroshige’s Eyes

Meisho Edo hyakkei, known in the West as One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, was one of ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige’s most celebrated works, influencing even Western artists like Van Gogh and Monet. Drawn in Hiroshige’s final years and published from 1856 to 1861, the series depicted the sights of Edo (as Tokyo was then known) through the changing seasons. Audiences around the world admired Hiroshige’s inventive use of bold compositions, bird’s-eye-view perspectives, and vivid colors. A century and a half later, “ukiyo photographer” Kichiya has set himself the task of recreating each of these views with a photograph taken in the same place, at the same time of year, from the same angle. Join us in this new series at Nippon.com on a tour of these “famous views” in Edo and modern-day Tokyo, guided by Kichiya’s artistry and his knowledge of old maps and life in Edo.

A View of Sakura Through a Restored “Moon Pine”

The Kannon hall is designated a national important cultural property. It is one of the few buildings of the ancient Kan’eiji temple complex to have survived the 1868 Battle of Ueno, a devastating clash between troops loyal to the shogunate and forces led by the Satsuma and Chōshū domains. Hovering over the hall’s outer platform is the Moon Pine, so named for the great circle made by one of its branches. The original pine was damaged by a typhoon in the early Meiji era (1868–1912), but a recreation of the venerable tree was successfully completed in 2012.

Hiroshige’s picture surveys the hall and the Moon Pine from above. Shinobazu Pond in the background adds a sense of depth, creating a composition that is simply superb.

When the cherries are in bloom Ueno Park fills with visitors, and I had great difficulty taking my photograph without capturing an errant figure in the frame. At my first shoot, the Moon Pine was completely hidden from view by the crowds. For my second attempt, though, I entered the park just as the gates opened at 7:00 am and worked quickly, wrapping up the shoot in a mere three minutes.

The restored Moon Pine is quite different from its Edo-period predecessor, both in size and location, so it was impossible to recreate Hiroshige’s composition exactly. Still, by getting the cherry blossoms, the platform at the Kiyomizu Kannon-dō, and the Moon Pine in frame, I feel that I captured the same mood. I wanted to include Shinobazu Pond as well, but a dense growth of trees hid it from view.

About the Location

Kan’eiji was founded in 1625 by the Tendai monk Tenkai as a bodaiji, or family temple, for the ruling Tokugawa clan. Like the extensive Buddhist precincts of Kyoto, it was a sprawling complex of large and small structures that covered Ueno Hill, a metaphysically strategic location chosen to protect Edo Castle from any malicious spirits that might enter through the northeast. The Kiyomizu Kannon-dō was built in 1631 in imitation of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, with its distinctive long pillars and crosspieces supporting a raised platform. The temple was moved to its current location in 1694.

Location 1-29 Ueno Kōen, Taitō, Tokyo
Access 4 minutes’ walk from Ueno Station on the JR Yamanote and Keihin–Tōhoku Lines, the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, and the Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Main Line

tourism Tokyo ukiyo-e One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Kichiya kantō Taitō-ku