first posted September 7
湯島天神は学問の神様菅原道真を祀った社。
Yushima Tenjin is the
shrine that honors Sugawara Michizane, known as a god of
learning.
菅原道真（８４５～９０３）はすぐれた学者であり、政治家でもありました。
でも９０１年政敵にはめられ、福岡県大宰府に左遷され、失意のまま亡くなりました。
ところが、その死後京都では災いが続き、道真のたたりと恐れられました。
そこでたたりを鎮めるため、天神様として信仰の対象となったそうです。
なるほど～。
Michizane
(845～903) was a great scholor, and also a great politician in Heian
Period.
But framed by his political enemy, he was demoted and transferred to
Dazaifu in Fukuoka, Kyushu in 901, where he died in despair.
After his death,
a lot of disasters occured in Kyoto, and people believed that it was Michizane's
curse.
So, in order to ease his soul, they dedicated shrines to him and
called them Tenjin-sama.
これが絵馬に描かれた道真さん。
This is the
picture of Michizane painted on ema.
(Ema is a wooden tablet with a picture
on one side. You write your wish on the other side and dedicate it to a
shrine.)
大勢の受験生が合格祈願の絵馬を奉納します。
どうぞ願いがかないますように。
Because Michizane
is a god of learning, a lot of students studying for entrance exams come and
pray at Yushima Tenjin.
Look at all those emas dedicated by those students.
I hope their wish will be all granted.
これが本殿。
This is the main
shrine.
湯島天神は高台にあり、社殿の東には２つの坂道があります。
Yushima
Tenjin is on the hill.
There are two ways to go up to the shrine from the
east side.
ゆるやかな女坂
gentle steps called "woman's
steps"
急勾配の男坂
steep steps called "man's
steps"
もう一度広重の絵を見てみましょう。
正面に女坂を上ってくる人が描かれています。
左手が本殿に続く鳥居で、右手に男坂がちょっぴり描かれています。
女坂下に見えているのは遠く上野の不忍池。
Let's
look at Hiroshige's picture again.
Some people are coming up the "woman's
steps."
And behind that, you see many houses and the big pond of
Shinobazuno-ike in Ueno.
On the left, stands Torii, the gate to the main
shrine.
On the right, you can see the tip of "man's steps."
その場所に立ってみると…。
Now, let's see... How does it
look now?
眼下の景色はビル、またビル。
でも鳥居も坂もそのまま。
けっこう嬉しくなりました。
Below the
hill, there are buildings after buildings.
But the shrine gate, woman's steps
and man's steps...
They were just like the old days.
I felt quite
happy.
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