| Toshogu is the shrine that venerates Tokugawa Ieyasu,
the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Toshogu shrines exist
throughout Japan, and this one was built in Ueno in 1627 and then rebuilt by Tokugawa
Iemitsu, the third shogun, in 1651. On the approach to the shrine, there is a
large stone torii gate and rows of stone and bronze lanterns. These were gifts
from daimyo throughout Japan, which suggests just how powerful Ieyasu was. Visitors
can look inside the main hall, called Konjikiden, which is located within the
shrine grounds and is covered in gold leaf. While Ueno Toshogu is not as large
or as splendid as the Toshogu shrines located in Nikko and Shizuoka, it is still
a great place to get a feel for what things were like in the Edo period. |
