Shiba Shimei Shrine, Dzodzi Monastery in Sib by Utagawa Hiroshige

Shiba Shimei Shrine, Dzodzi Monastery in Sib by Utagawa Hiroshige

The Dzojedzi Monastery on Mount Sanengzang was the main temple in the Kanto area of the Jedo-shu school. Hiroshige depicts the square in front of the red gates of Dimon – the Main Gate of the monastery, they are visible in the engraving on the left. Behind them were the gates of Sammon, and then the roof of Hondo, the main building, was seen.

It was a large Buddhist center, where more than 3,000 monks were trained at a time. Lectures were allowed to attend laymen and foreigners, one of them was Nikolai Kasatkin – the first Russian Orthodox missionary. To the right of Dzodzi was the shrine of Shiba Simmei. This sanctuary was built in the XI century and is dedicated to the deities of the sanctuary in Ise. The style of construction is sim-meizukuri, the feature of which is a roof with crossed rafters. There were theatrical performances.

The territory of the temple was a burial place for members of the Tokugawa family. Early in the morning, the monks of Dzodzi went to Edo to collect alms. Before them, Hiroshige portrayed the merry company of the villagers. In subsequent print versions of this engraving, the color of the sky on the horizon changes to dark purple instead of red. In the lower left corner, a dark gray patch appears, on which a red cartouche with the name Hiroshige stands prominently. The red strip passes at the top edge of the sheet.

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