The Confucius Shrine in Nagasaki City is built in the Chinese style, unlike Yushima Seido, and is said to be the only Confucius Temple in Japan built in the authentic Chinese style. The colors of the temple are certainly more vivid than most shrines and temples, not to mention Yushima Seido. As I walked around the shrine grounds, I felt as if I were not in Japan. It was a bit surreal to see only 72 stone statues of sages standing in the deserted precincts of the shrine, imitating the disciples of Confucius.
In Japan, there are not many Confucius Shrines. Considering that the Cheng–Zhu school, one of the major philosophical schools of Confucianism was the official ideology of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period (1603-1867), it is a bit strange that not many Confucius Shrines were built in Japan. Perhaps it was because Cheng–Zhu school was the preserve of the ruling class and had no relevance to the common people.
Mar 2007 ARCHITECTURE NAGASAKI | |
COURTYARD INCENSE BURNER NAGASAKI CITY TEMPLE |
No
815
Shooting Date
Mar 2007
Posted On
March 31, 2007
Modified On
July 1, 2024
Place
Nagasaki City, Nagasaki
Genre
Architectural Photography
Camera
RICOH GR DIGITAL