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2024 (The 6th year of Reiwa), Wood-Elder x Dragon

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Original Hall (Soshi-do), Nichien-zan Myouhouji Temple (日圓山堀之内妙法寺祖師堂), Horinouchi, Suginami, Tokyo

(Pictures taken in 2023/08/23, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70 mm Zoom)

View from the gate

Front view of the Original Hall, built 1698.

"Five-style Dragons", carved by Takeshi Ihachirou Nobuyoshi (武志伊八郎信由, 1752-1824).

Main Hall, Taicho-zan Touko-in Kougwanji Temple (泰長山東光院光厳寺本堂 ), Oowada, Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture

Front view of Kougwanji Temple. This temple was founded in 1335, and was restored in 1680.

Foto from: https://ichihara-kankou.or.jp/introduce/kougenji/

"A Drgaon on the Wave" in the transom in the main hall of Kougwanji Temple, ca. 1810, carved by Takeshi Ihachirou Nobuyoshi (武志伊八郎信由, 1752-1824). (Picture taken in 2023/11/08, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70 mm Zoom theough window glass)

Main Hall, Iou-zan IIoji Temple (威王山飯尾寺本堂 ), Yamane, Nagara-machi, Chiba Prefecture

(Pictures taken in 2023/11/08, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70 mm Zoom)

Main Hall, IIoji Temple. History says the temple was built by Rev. Nichiju （日什上人, 1314～1391）, the founder of Hokke-Shu Myouganji-temple Sect (法華宗妙満寺派).

"Male and Female Dragon", in the transom in the main hall of IIojiji Temple, carved by Takeshi Ihachirou Nobuyoshi (武志伊八郎信由, 1752-1824), in his late years. (The picture was taken by inserting a camera through the small window for offertory box.

 Golden Hall (Kon-do), Miidera (Enjoji Temple, Head Temple of Tendai-jimon Sect, 天台寺門宗総本山園城寺)

(Pictures taken in 2023/05/13, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70mm Zoom)

Front view of Golden Hall, Miidera Temple. Rebuilt in 1599.

Akaiya (wellhouse) is located behind the hut on the left-handed side.

Akaiya (wellhouse) of Miidera Temple.

Eaves of Akaiya (wellhouse), Miidera Temple.

"Dragon", carved by Hidari Jingoro (左甚五郎, 1594-1654).

Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社), Chichibu, Saitama Prefeturte

(Pictures, except the aerial view, were taken in 2023/08/13, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70mm Zoom)

Aerial view of Chichibu Shrine (Google Map)

Front view of the main shrine of Chichibu Shrine. Built in the early 1600s.

The east-side roof and eaves of Chichibu Shrine.

"Linked Dragons", at the east-side eaves of Chichibu Shrine, carved by Hidari Jingoro (左甚五郎, 1594-1654).

Ueno-Tōshōgū shrine (上野東照宮), Tokyo

(Pictures taken in 2023/05/13, with Nikon Z6/Nikkor 24-70mm Zoom) 

The front gate for Ueno-Tōshōgū shrine

Gold-colour hall, Ueno-Tōshōgū shrine

Karamon (Chinese-stye gate) of Gold-colour Hall, Ueno-Tōshōgū shrine (Formal name: Four-pillared gate with Chinese-style roof), built 1651

Ascending (left) and Descending (right) Dragons, carved by Hidari Jingoro (左甚五郎, 1594-1654), at the Karamon of Gold-colour Hall, Ueno-Tōshōgū shrine.

2023 (The 5th year of Reiwa), Water-Younger x Rabbit

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The Twenty-third Night Hall (二十三夜堂) in Nichien-zan Myohouji Temple (日圓山堀之内妙法寺), Horinouchi, Edo (Presently, Horinouchi, Suginami, Tokyo)
(Pictures taken in 9 October 2022 with Nikon Z6)

Left: Horinouchi-Myouhouji Temple in the “Illustrated Edo Sightseeing Spots (江戸名所圖會), published in the late Edo Period[1].” The Twenty-third Night Hall should have existed behind the Main Hall, as indicated; Middle: The Founder’s Hall; Right: The Main Hall”

Left: Front view of The Twenty-third Night Hall; Middle: Framed board of the hall; Right: Votive Tablet with the image of Moon God.
    

Tsuki Shrine (調神社), Adachi County, Musashi District (Presently, Urawa, Saitama Pref.）
(Pictures taken in 8 October 2022 with Nikon Z6)

Left: The Tsuki Shrine in the “Illustrated Edo Sightseeing Spots (江戸名所圖會)[2], published in the late Edo Period[2]. The comment says that nowadays the shrine is erroneously called  “月讀二十三夜 (Tsukuyomi Niju-san Ya, lit. Moon god Twenty-third Night)”; Middle: Entrance. Guardian Rabbits on both side, instead of Guardian Lions. Torii (Shrine gate) does not exist and a stone pillar inscribed as “縣社延喜式内調神社 (Kensha Engishiki-nai Tuki Jinja, lit. The Governmental District Tsuki Shrine)” stands; Right: The front of the Main Hall.

Left: The beam above the main hall front. Two rabbits are carved on on each side of the beam; Middle and Right: The closeup of the carvings.

Left: Hand-cleaning basin with a statue of rabbit which emit water; Middle: Rabbit statue in the pond which also emit water; Right: Signboard to show the shrine’s legends. No relationship with rabbit is not written.

“Full Colour Wooden Statue of Chandra (木造極彩色月天像)” in the Gusokusan Ryuhon-ji Temple of Nichiren Sect (日蓮宗具足山立本寺) in Kamigyo, Kyoto

Left: The total view of the statue in the aureole; Right: Close-up of the upper body. The statue went missing in June 2021 but in May 2022 returned safe to the temple (Kyoto Shinbun Newspaper 2022.5.6.[3]).

Rabbit in the Moon           

Left: Trace of the image of rabbit on the moon surface shown in the National Geogtaphic webpage[4]; Right: The same image overlaid on the photograph, taken at Shakujii-machi 4-Chome, Nerima, Tokyo. Camera=Nikon Z6/Nikkor Z 24-200mm, ISO=200, Apperture=f8, Exposure=1/640.

Hindu God Chandra

Left: God Chandra in the Book of Dreams (folio). Watercolour and ink. Rajasthan, India 1700-1725. Los Angeles County Museum of Art[5]; Right: Moon God Chandra. Watercolour. Bihar, India 19th c., British Museum[6]. Note the chariot is driven by an antelope.

References