Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple & Ueno Toshogu Shrine

Located in Tokyo’s Ueno Park, Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple and Ueno Toshogu Shrine together formed the primary religious center for the ruling Tokugawa clan in Edo. Kan’ei-ji, a great Tendai Buddhist head temple, was established in 1625 to serve as the shogunate’s family temple and to provide spiritual protection for Edo Castle from the unlucky northeast, mirroring Kyoto’s Enryaku-ji.
Ueno Toshogu was founded in 1627 to deify Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period. It was once located within the grounds of Kan’ei-ji Temple, but separated after the Meiji period and is now situated within Ueno Park. Its magnificent golden hall, Karamon gate, and surrounding wall, which was rebuilt in 1651 by the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. While the Boshin War of 1868 resulted in the near-total destruction of Kan’ei-ji’s main temple complex, Ueno Toshogu miraculously survived, preserving its Edo-period architecture.
Today, the former temple grounds form the public Ueno Park, where visitors can see Kan’ei-ji’s rebuilt Main Hall and surviving original gates. Ueno Toshogu remains a remarkably well-preserved landmark, designated an Important Cultural Property. Visitors can admire its intricate carvings and gold leaf detail up close and visit the seasonal Peony Garden, established in 1980.