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Daikokuten-dō Hall: Small Details Reflecting the Coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism
神仏習合を感じさせる大黒天堂の細部
Daikokuten-dō Hall (大黒天堂) in Ueno refers to the hall dedicated to Daikokuten, the god of wealth and fortune, located within the grounds of Shinobazu-no-Ike Bentendō on a small man-made island in the middle of Shinobazu Pond. Despite being part of a Buddhist temple complex in such a unique setting, there are several features of the building that hint at strong Shinto influences.
In my younger years, I always assumed there was a clear line between Buddhism and Shinto, the animistic belief system indigenous to Japan. However, I later learned about shinbutsu-shūgō (the historical blending of Buddhist and Shinto traditions), which challenged that simple distinction.
Daikokuten-dō is associated with the Kan’ei-ji Temple complex, which is home to several Buddhist temples, mausoleums, and notable statues of Buddhist monks. The kami enshrined here, Daikokuten, is a deity of fortune, luck, and wealth. Interestingly, Daikokuten is an amalgamation of the Shinto god Ōkuninushi and the Buddhist Deva, which itself originated from the Hindu warrior deity Mahākāla.
What initially sent me down this rabbit hole, however, was what I noticed in the photograph itself: the Imperial chrysanthemum crest (菊紋・kikumon) on the paper lanterns and on the ornamental engraved metalwork known as unokedōshi (兎毛通) beneath the central portion of the Chinese-style gable (唐破風・karahafu). There are also clear Shinto elements, such as the shimenawa (注連縄) rope adorned with shide (紙垂) paper streamers. At the same time, it is unmistakably a Buddhist hall, marked by the cauldron-shaped incense burner (屋根付外置香炉・yanetsuki-gaichi kōro) at the base of the steps and the colorful banners draped across the façade in the Five Primary Colors (五正色・goseishoku) associated with Buddhism.
For me, this hall is especially compelling because it quietly embodies the long history of syncretism between Buddhism and Shinto—two belief systems that once coexisted without conflict in Japan. That balance was disrupted in 1868, when the Meiji government enforced the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in an effort to elevate Shinto as a state ideology and strengthen imperial authority.
In the end, these policies were never fully realized. Daikokuten-dō, rebuilt in 1968, remains a subtle but powerful example of how both traditions continue to coexist in practice, visible to worshippers, tourists, and photographers alike; a reminder that what first catches my eye visually often leads me to stories I hadn’t expected.
- Location: Shinobazu-no-Ike Bentendō Temple, Taito Ward, Tokyo
- Timestamp: 2026/01/02・14:18
- Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
- 23 mm ISO 250 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/13
- Classic Chrome film simulation
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