Tokyo Strolls - Tokyo - page 218

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the atmosphere of this stroll is markedly different from the bustling liveliness of the
previous walking tours—there are few crowds and there's very little traffic. Rather, a trip
to Yanaka is like a visit to a small town, where the pace of life is slow and the people have
time for one another. If Tokyo is starting to wear on your nerves, come here to refresh
yourself. This walk always makes me happy!

The easiest way to get to Yanaka is on the Yamanote
Line. Disembark at Nippori Station, take the south
exit (the end closest to Ueno Station), and turn left
for the west exit. Look for the flight of steps beside a
map of the area. After climbing these stairs, you'll
soon reach, on the left:
1 Tennoji Temple
Founded more than 500 years ago, this
used to be a grand and impressive com-
plex, 10 times its present size and popular
among townspeople as one of Edo's three
temples authorized to hold lotteries. The
lotteries, however, drew such huge, rowdy
crowds that they were banned in the mid-
19th century by the Tokugawa shogunate.
Then, in 1868, most of the complex was
destroyed in the battle between Tokugawa
loyalists and Imperial forces on nearby
Ueno Hill. Today, Tennoji is quiet and
peaceful, with neatly swept grounds and
the soothing sounds of chirping birds
and chanting monks. The first thing you
see upon entering the compound is a
seated bronze Buddha, which dates from
1690 and is one of the temple's dearest
treasures. Nearby is a standing bronze Jizo,
guardian of children's spirits. It was erected
by a grieving father more than 60 years
ago, following the death of his son in a
playground accident; a relief at the base
depicts boys playing in school uniform.
There's also a small stone statue of Kan-
non, goddess of mercy.
Walk straight out of the temple compound's main
entrance and continue walking on the paved road
straight through:
2 Yanaka Cemetery
Once the burial grounds of Kanei-ji and
Tennoji temples and opened to the public
in 1874, this is one of Tokyo's largest cem-
eteries. Among its more than 7,000 tomb-

stones are graves belonging to famous
public figures, artists, and writers, some of
whom lived in the area. Among the most
famous writers buried here are Soseki Nat-
sume (1867-1916) and Ogai Mori
(1862-1922), both novelists of the Meiji
Era and longtime Yanaka residents. Nat-
sume, whose portrait is featured on the
1,000-yen note, became famous after writ-
ing I Am a Cat, a humorous look at the
follies of human society as seen through
the eyes of a cat. Ogai, who at 19 was the
youngest graduate ever from the medical
school at Tokyo University and who later
became surgeon general, was a foremost
figure of modern Japanese literature. His
works tried to bridge the gap between the
traditional and the modern, as Japan
moved away from its feudal agrarian past.
Today the cemetery is quite peaceful
and empty, but it wasn't always so. During
the Edo Period, teahouses along its edge
served more than tea, with monks among
their frequent customers. One of the
teahouse beauties, Osen Kasamori,
achieved fame when ukiyo-e master Har-
unobu immortalized her in several of his
works. Most poor girls were looking for
patrons, not necessarily one-night stands.
After a minute's walk, to your left, you'll see two
sights very strange for a cemetery—a police box and
a children's playground. Here, between the two and
surrounded by a low fence and hedge, is the:
3 Foundation of Tennoji Temple's
Five-Story Pagoda
First built in 1644 but burned down in
1772, this was reconstructed as the tallest
pagoda in Edo. It met its final demise in
1957, when it was burned down by two
lovers who then committed suicide.

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