⛩️ Kōeiji (Kōeiji Temple)

Kōeiji was founded in the second year of the Kōei era (1625) and serves as the head temple of the Tendai sect in the Kanto region. It was established by the revered high priest Tenkai, who was respected by the three Tokugawa shoguns: Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu, to pray for the stability of the Tokugawa shogunate and the safety of the people. It is a place of prayer and a family temple for the Tokugawa shogunate, with six of the fifteen Tokugawa shoguns still resting here today. At its peak, the temple's grounds were larger than the entire area of present-day Ueno Park. Although it developed into a major temple in Edo, most of its buildings were destroyed during the fires of the Bakumatsu period, reducing it to its current scale. The grounds feature many highlights worth seeing. The main hall, "Konpon Chūdō," houses the secret Buddha, Yakushi Ruriko Nyorai. There is also the "Ueno Great Buddha," which, due to metal shortages during World War II, only retains its face. Additionally, there is the bell cast in the seventh year of Tenmei (1787), which still chimes three times a day. Other must-see points include the "Aoi no Ma," where the last shogun of the Tokugawa family, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, spent his time in seclusion, which is only open during special public viewings, and the "Tomb of the Tokugawa Shoguns," a nationally designated important cultural property where six generations of shoguns are interred.

As the family temple of the Tokugawa clan, it is still highly revered today. There are many highlights worth seeing, such as the Hondō and the Ueno Daibutsu. The "Aoi no Ma," where the 15th shogun of the Tokugawa family, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, lived in seclusion, can only be visited during special openings.