One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.11Kiyomizudo Temple and Shinobazu Pond at Ueno

Ueno mountain, in fact a part of a terrace located northeast of Edo, was likened by a Tokugawa shogun to Hiei mountain located to the east of Kyoto. Modelled after temples in Kyoto, many temples were built on top of Ueno mountain. Among them was Kiyomizudo Temple, a miniaturized replica of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. It was built on a crag at the south side of the mountain and had a protruding stage supported by long pillars. From the elevated stage one could see magnificent views of the district, including cherry blossoms, pine trees, Shinobazu pond and various towns in the distance.
At the order of the shogun, innumerable cherry trees were planted all over the mountain. As a result, it was considered the best place for viewing cherry blossoms in Edo. The most magnificent view of the cherry blossoms was obtained from the stage of Kiyomizudo Temple.
Naturally, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, the mountain was crowded with many people, regardless of rank. However, the shogun had authority over the whole mountain due to the Tokugawa family’s temple, Kaneiji, having been built there. Commoners were allowed onto the mountain but with two restrictions. Firstly, although they were allowed to drink sake, they were not allowed to sing songs or play musical instruments in the grounds while enjoying the views of the cherry blossoms and, secondly, they were not allowed to remain within the grounds after dark.
Hiroshige depicts in this print a scene around Kiyomizudo Temple when cherry blossoms are at their best. Along the road at the foot of the temple stands a pine tree, a branch of which grew to form a circle. People in Edo city named the tree tsuki no matsu, literally “a moon-shaped pine tree”. Shinobazu pond lying in front of Kiyomizudo Temple was likened to Lake Biwa located east of Kyoto. Into the pond a peninsula extends with Benten Shrine at the head. The shrine was modelled after the similar one standing on Chikubushima island in Lake Biwa.