Pagoda Surviving Anti-Buddhist Persecution - Ueno Toshogu Shrine 廃仏毀釈を生き延びた上野東照宮の五重塔

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Tokyo. The gate is a karamon gate, i.e., a Chinese style gate, and the lanterns are made of bronze. 

Karamon gate of Ueno Toshogu shrine

Karamon - Chinese style gate

Bronze lanterns

Near the gate is a five-story pagoda (in the picture below). However, that's not shrine's but is owned by the Tokyo local government. The shrine, which was established as part of Kaneiji temple in the 17th century, gave this pagoda to that temple under the government's order issued in 1868 to separate Shinto from Buddhism to make Japan more united under Shinto.

Five story pagoda surviving anti-Buddhist movement
Owner changed from Ueno Toshogu shrine → Kaneiji temple → Tokyo

The order triggered anti-Buddhist persecution across Japan, resulting in the destruction of many Buddhist temples and statues. Kofukuji temple in Nara prefecture even auctioned its five-story pagoda (in the picture below) for then 25 yen or currently 100,000 yen (or 930 US dollars) to survive the anti-Buddhism movement.

Auctioned but survived
Kofukuji temple, Nara prefecture

Luckily, the two pagodas survived such persecution, allowing us now to enjoy such majestic beauty.

上野ぼたん苑で牡丹を楽しんだ後、上野東照宮に行きました。黄金色の唐門と緑青色の灯篭がとてもきれい！ 「あっ、五重塔」と思ったら、東照宮のものではなく東京都の管理下にあるとのこと。神仏分離令が出された時に東照宮から寛永寺、その後東京都に譲渡されたそうです。廃仏毀釈時の忖度で25円（当時）で売りに出された興福寺の五重塔を思い出しました｡

戦争だけでなく、内乱をも生き延びた二つの五重塔。その美しさに圧倒されました｡｡｡