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_PK12861

            A Ueno walk-around.

Benten-do temple. Ueno, Tokyo, Japan. © Michele Marcolin, 2022. K1ii + Fujita H.C. 35mm f2.5

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Shinobazu-no-ike Bentendo is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. The temple stands on an island in the middle of Shinobazu Pond. Originally it was part of the larger Kaneiji Temple complex, which covered the entire area now occupied by Ueno Park. Kaneiji Temple was built in 1625 by the Buddhist monk Tenkai after Enryakuji, a major Buddhist temple near Kyoto. Years later an island was constructed in the middle of the pond to house the statue of the goddess Benzaiten. The island was designed to imitate the island of Chikubushima in Lake Biwa, on the eastern side of Mount Hiei, and he Bentendo was built as a copy of a temple on Chikubushima.

Lotus plants - a Buddhist symbol of purity - were planted in Shinobazu Pond and still cover its southern part. Originally the island could only be reached by boat, but a bridge was added on its eastern side in 1672, so that people could walk to the temple. Sadly, the original Bentendo Temple was destroyed in a bombing raid in World War 2. The current building is a reconstruction of the 17th century Main Hall and it was built in 1958.

Benzaiten (also called Benten) is the only female member of Japan’s seven lucky gods. Originally an Indian river goddess,  she is still associated with water in the Japanese tradition. As a goddess of all things that flow - which includes words, wisdom, wealth, music and dance very often she is shown holding a kind of lute called ’biwa’ and you will see a large sculpture of a biwa outside the Main Hall. The coiled serpent with a bearded man’s head, is Ugaijin, a Japanese folk god of harvests, fertility, and wealth. Benzaiten is often shown with snakes, and so Ugaijin, with his snake-like body, has also become associated with her.

Taken in: Japan / Tokyo / Ueno (show map)

Taken on: December 30, 2022

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Camera: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX K-1 Mark II, f/0, 1/6 sec, 35mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX K-1 Mark II
Lens:	M-42 or No Lens
Aperture:	f/0
Exposure Time:	0.167 sec (1/6)
Focal Length:	35mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	-0.3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	High
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS5 Macintosh
Show full info

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