Kanei ji Temple Pagoda, Tokyo

The Kanei Ji Temple pagoda was part of one of the two funerary temples in Tokyo. The temple was destroyed in the battle of Ueno where Tokugawa was defeated by the imperial forces resulting in the Meiji restoration and only the Pagoda remains.

The Kanei ji temple and pagoda were built by the monk Tenkai in 1625. It gets its name from the Kan’ei era when it was erected. The land was donated by the second Shogun, Hidetada and the five storey pagoda was constructed to ward off evil spirits from entering Edo Castle. At the time it was a prosperous and powerful temple with over 30 buildings within the complex. It was the chief place of worship and the burial place of the Tokugawa family from the time of the fourth shogun and six of the 15 shoguns were buried in its cemetery.

Today, the five story pagoda within the Ueno Zoo bears witness to the temple that once flourished here. The top of the Kan’ei ji Pagoda commands breathtaking views of the city. The four statues of the Buddha enshrined within it have been removed to the Tokyo National Museum. The nearby Tokugawa cemetery is closed to the public but can be viewed from the street.