Toeizan Kan'ei-ji Temple was founded as a sacred hall of prayer for the stability of the Edo Shogunate and the peace and protection of all people throughout the nation, based on the fervent wish of Jigen Daishi Tenkai Daisojo for the creation of a better country.
As a temple under the direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Kan'ei-ji oversaw all temples nationwide while serving as a temple open to society in accordance with the teachings of Tenkai Daisojo, becoming a source of spiritual support for the people.
This 400th anniversary commemorative project aims to further spread the aspirations of Tenkai Daisojo and pass down the temple's history and traditions to future generations.
Based on our heartfelt gratitude to all those who have supported Kan'ei-ji throughout its history, this commemorative project seeks to restore the temple's sacred dignity to continue our eternal prayers for world peace, and to create a place for spiritual learning and community exchange through various events that deepen our connections with local society.
Tezuka Yuji's (Summary: Hiroma To)
Yuji Tezuka is one of the most prominent Japanese-style painters of our time,
a member of the Japan Art Institute, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University of the Arts, and special director of the Fukui Fine Arts Museum.
During the course of his close friendship with Shoumyou Urai, the abbot of Kan'ei-ji Temple, it was decided to promote the painting of the ceiling of the Kompon Chudo by Tezuka as a symbolic project to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kan'ei-ji Temple. The artist was formally commissioned on October 5, 2020, and on April 20 of the following year, a ceremony was held at Kan’ei-ji Temple to open the atelier, and work began in earnest.
This exceptional work of painting directly on a huge ceiling panel measuring approximately 6 meters high and 12 meters wide has been carried out by the artist together with his students, Banshu Kaku, Takeshi Nagai, and Masatoshi Matsushita, while searching for the method to create this unique masterpiece.
The work was named "Eigaku Soryu."
Mr. Yuji Tezuka (Photo by Itaru Hirama)
This ceiling painting, which presented extraordinary challenges during its creation, will be preserved for future generations as a rare and exceptional work in the history of Japanese art.
The ceiling painting will be displayed in the artist's retrospective exhibition for approximately one year starting from February 2024, touring department stores and art museums throughout Japan.
In 2025, marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kan’ei-ji Temple, the work will be completed through the sacred ritual of "garyō tensei", breathing life into the dragons, and will then be dedicated and installed in the Kompon Chudo.
As part of the 400th anniversary commemorative project, renovation work on the Kan’ei-ji Kompon Chudo will begin in February 2024 and will take approximately 10 months to prepare the sacred hall as a fitting temple complex to house the ceiling paintings.
Furthermore, in 2019, repairs and reinforcement work were carried out on the aging Rinnō-den of Kan’ei-ji Temple. Additionally, in 2022, reinforcement work was conducted on the JR retaining wall on the north side of Kan'ei-ji Temple to prevent potential damage to the railway from wall collapse during major earthquakes.
The Tokugawa Memorial Foundation has been building various cooperative frameworks within the context of the ties between the Tokugawa family and Kan'ei-ji Temple since the foundation's establishment.
In December 2022, an agreement on collaboration and cooperation was concluded with Tokyo University of the Arts.
An agreement has also been signed with the local Taito City regarding the utilization of tourism volunteers.
Dedication of the Statue of Jibo Kannon by the Late Master Naoki Tominaga
The late Master Naoki Tominaga (1913-2006), a parishioner of Kan’ei-ji Temple, was one of Japan's leading sculptors, elected as a member of the Japan Art Academy and awarded the Order of Culture. This work is a plaster original of the approximately 3-meter "Jibo Kannon" (Merciful Mother Kannon) statue.
The main statue is enshrined in Sakuragaoka Park on Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture, which serves as a memorial site for the Takarazuka Naval Aviation Corps preparatory flight training cadets who died in action at the end of the Pacific War.
Through special circumstances, the plaster original of the Merciful Mother Kannon statue was dedicated to Kan’ei-ji Temple, and we have decided to enshrine and preserve it in the lobby of the first hall of the Kan’ei-ji Rinnō-den.
Tuesday, July 8 - Sunday, August 31, 2025
A special exhibition will be held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kan’ei-ji Temple around the time of the memorial service in 2025.
Friday, October 10, 2025
In October 2025, a commemorative ceremony will be held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kan'ei-ji Temple.
Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, 2025
We will be holding a special event to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kan'ei-ji Temple.
Scheduled for release in November 2025
・KAN'EI-JI Imagination Journey - Digital Revival of Edo-period Ueno and Kan’ei-ji Temple -：Click here for website
・Ueno Area Exploration Pass ~400th Anniversary of Kan’ei-ji Temple~: Click here for website
・EDO SHOGUN'S LEGACY TRAIL TOUR : Click here for website
We are in the process of editing the contents to convey the charm of Kan'eiji Temple, focusing on revealing the footsteps of the great priest Tenkai, the founder of Kan'eiji Temple, through the writings of Masaaki Urai, Kan'eiji's chief abbot.
