Many yellow lanterns were hung in the Kaiji Martial Temple

Many lanterns were hung in the Kaiji Martial Temple. Although one can see many lanterns at shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan, the lanterns in the Chinese cultural sphere are different in color from those in Japan. While most Japanese lanterns are white or red, the ones here are yellow. Even though I was accustomed to seeing these lanterns, I feel a sense of exoticism when I see yellow lanterns in a row.

The lanterns had another name for Guan Yu. This is what Confucians call Guan Yu. In other words, this is a Confucian temple. The popular Guan Yu has many aliases: in Taoism, he is known as "the Great Emperor Guan Yu" and in Buddhism as "Guan Bodhisattva". The name "文衡聖帝" emphasizes the literal aspect rather than the martial aspect, as the character "文" is used in the name. In Taiwan and other countries, he is often worshipped during examinations. This is quite different from the image of Guan Yu in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," in which Guan Yu fought in many different places with his outstanding military prowess.

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