Famed ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige created a series of woodblock paintings entitled One Hundred Famous Views of Edo from 1856 to 1859, illustrating the most notable and scenic sites of feudal Tokyo. Of the 119 works in the series, two depict the same location in today’s Ueno Park: a horticultural oddity known as the Moon Pine Tree.
Founded in 1631 and moved to the current location in 1694, the Kiyomizu-Kannondō pavilion of the former Kan’ei-ji Temple complex is modeled after Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, with its own version of the famous platform called the “stage.” In front of it once stood the Moon Pine Tree, a landscaping wonder with a long branch that drew a perfect circle, from which visitors could have a scenic view of the Shinobazu Pond framed in a full moon.
The original Moon Pine Tree was knocked down in the early Meiji era during a typhoon and remained lost for nearly 150 years. In 2012, it was reconstructed with state-of-the-art horticultural techniques. Though often overlooked, it’s worth climbing up to the Kiyomizu stage and take a look through the moon at the quaint, yet modern district of Ueno below.