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99. Kinryūzan Temple, Asakusa (Asakusa Kinryuzan) (7th Month, 1856)
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The color scheme of this composition—red on white—is reserved for propitious occasions, in this case the beginning of winter. The place is the entrance to the temple of the Buddhist deity Kannon in Asakusa, the oldest and most venerable Buddhist temple in Edo. Formally known as Kinryūzan Sensōji, it dates back to 628, when two brothers discovered a tiny gold image of Kannon in their net while fishing on the Sumida River. The image was enshrined here, and over the centuries the temple became the object of a widespread popular following that remains strong today. As with all popular temples in Hiroshige's time, the Asakusa Kannon Temple was also a major entertainment center.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum