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Tosho-gu lanterns, Ueno Park

Close to the Tosho-gu shrine there are 48 bronze lanterns which are used for purification of the sacred fire during religious ceremonies. These lanterns were gifts from the daimyo, or feudal lords, on Tokugawa Ieyasu's death and the name and date of the gift is written on each lantern (the hollyhock on two lanterns at the right, towards the back, indicates these were from Tokugawa daimyo). All survived the 1923 earthquake and 1945 air raids. The lanterns and the Tosho-gu shrine building are national treasures of Japan. There are also 200 stone lanterns, placed in the approach path and nearby.

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Uploaded on October 6, 2014
Taken on April 13, 2014