Yushima Cathedral

湯島聖堂
Yushima Cathedral was originally located in Ueno Shinogaoka in the residence of the Shogunate Confucian Hayashi Razan, and in the 3rd year of Genroku (1690), the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi moved it here, renamed the former shrine to Taiseiden, expanded and organized the scale of the Confucius Temple, and made it a government and academic office. From this time on, the Taiseiden Hall and its attached buildings came to be collectively called the "Cathedral". After this, in the 9th year of Kansei (1797), the scale was expanded at the time of the eleventh Iehito, and the "Shoheizaka Academy" was opened, and the prestige of government and academia was established. The design at this time was based on a model of the Confucius Temple that Zhu Shushui (a vassal of the Ming Dynasty of China) had once built for Mito Tokugawa Mitsukuni. In addition, what had been painted with vermilion, green, blue, vermilion lacquer, etc. was now painted with black lacquer. The current one was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1, 1923 (Taisho 12), and all but the Iritokumon and Mizuya were burned down, and the Sobunkai made a reconstruction plan and rebuilt it in Showa 10 (1935). The scale of the reconstruction cathedral was based on the old cathedral at the time of Kansei 9, and the wooden structure was changed to reinforced concrete for earthquake and fire resistance. The statue of Confucius that is enshrined is a gift that was brought with him when he was exiled to Zhu Shushui and presented to Emperor Taisho. In addition, Sekiten, a festival dedicated to Confucius, is held twice in spring and autumn in the Edo period, and now it is held every year on the fourth Sunday of April at 10 a.m. by the priests of Kanda Shrine. (From the official website)