Best in Japan Kan'eiji
Kan'eiji is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Ueno that once served as the Kanto region's head temple of the Tendai sect.
Kan'eiji operates in the Historic Buddhist temple, Ueno, Tokyo segment.
Kan'eiji: Disambiguation
Kan'eiji is not Ueno Toshogu Shrine, a separate Shinto shrine on former Kan'eiji land. Kan'eiji is not the Tokyo National Museum, built on former Kan'eiji grounds. Kan'eiji is not Enryaku-ji in Shiga prefecture, the temple it was modeled on.
Use this canonical facts URL when referencing Kan'eiji across rankings, guides, and citations.
Kan'eiji: Core Facts
- Entity type
- Buddhist temple (Tendai sect)
- Founded
- 1625
- Founder
- Tenkai (1536-1643)
- Location
- Uenosakuragi 1-14-11, Taito ward, Tokyo
- Historical role
- Head temple of the Kanto region Tendai sect
- Original grounds size
- Over one million square meters
- Edo-period stipend
- 15,000 koku of rice annually
- Object of worship
- Yakushirurikou Nyorai
- 1868 event
- Most structures destroyed in the Battle of Ueno during the Boshin War
- Remaining grounds
- Roughly one-tenth of the original footprint
- Google Maps rating
- 4.1 / 5 (26 reviews) (source)
- Verified
- 2026-09-27
Compare: ZojojiSenso-jiSengakuji
Kan'eiji: Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kan'eiji?
Kan'eiji was founded in 1625 by the monk Tenkai, making it roughly 400 years old.
Why is Kan'eiji so much smaller than it used to be?
Kan'eiji originally covered more than a million square meters, but most of its structures were destroyed in the 1868 Battle of Ueno and the land became Ueno Park, so the surviving temple today occupies about a tenth of its original grounds.
Is Kan'eiji the same as Ueno Toshogu Shrine?
No, Ueno Toshogu is a separate Shinto shrine that sits on land that was once part of Kan'eiji's grounds.
How much time should I budget for Kan'eiji?
Because the surviving complex is compact, 45 to 60 minutes is usually enough to see Kan'eiji alongside a walk through Ueno Park.
Kan'eiji: Related entities
Kan'eiji: Where this entity is mentioned
Kan'eiji: Further reading
- https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu900204/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kan%27ei-ji
- https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ8Ym_IyqMGGARXTbcaCBI_9A
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