Momijigari with Elizabeth Rose - Tokyo University

The ginkgo avenue between the Seimon and Yasuda Auditorium, Tokyo University

First sightseeing destination in the Tokyo leg of our autumn 2016 trip was Todai. By that I do mean the University of Tokyo (東京大学) - yes, that university of such cult status among the Japanese, like Oxbridge to the British, like the Ivy League to the Americans. No, Hubby and I are certainly not here to submit an(other) application for a Masters programme!

Todai is actually a popular autumn spot in Tokyo - in fact, the Hongo campus is one of the best spots to view ginkgo trees in their golden glamour. Todai's grounds are open to the public, and entry to see the autumn foliage is free of charge. Golden ginkgos, Gothic buildings, public access, free of charge. What's there not to like?

Hongo-dori, outside Todai

Todai also has some history (as with almost any other place of interest in Japan!). During the Meiji era, in 1877, Tokyo University (Tokyo Daigaku) was established by merging various older institutions, thereby creating the 4 departments of Law, Science, Literature and Medicine. In 1886, its name was changed to Imperial University (Teikoku Daigaku) and it merged with the Engineering College, thus forming 5 departments. In 1890, the 6th was added with the establishment of the Agriculture and Dendrology College (Tokyo Norin Gakko). It then went through another name change in 1897 to Tokyo Imperial University (Tokyo Teikoku Daigaku). Over the Taisho era, the colleges became known as faculties, resulting in 7 faculties, and more institutes were established. Then along came WWII, and during the Showa period, the University was affected by postwar expansion, and a large number of changes took place. It was during this era, in 1947, that the University was again renamed to Tokyo University (Tokyo Daigaku), its present name.

In short, Todai's name changes went from Tokyo University (1877) → Imperial University (1886) → Tokyo Imperial University (1897) → Tokyo University (1947). But I suppose when an institution has been around that long, it's inevitable that its name goes through some revision...

In fact, although Todai was formally established in 1877, the University's roots actually date back to the Edo period since it was formed by the merging of the Shoheiko (est. 1789), Yogakusho (est. 1855) and Shutosho (est. 1860), institutions that had been established by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period.

Ginkgo trees outside the Yayoi Auditorium, Todai

The Hongo campus also has some history of its own. Most of the land on which the Hongo campus is located was the former estate of the Maeda clan, the daimyo of the Kaga Domain. The area where the Hospital stands (southeast) also belonged to the Maeda family, as daimyo of the Toyama and Daishoji Domains. The Yayoi and Asano sections of the campus (north and northeast) belonged to the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family, the daimyo of the Mito Domain.

Anyway, back to autumn-viewing... Wherever I looked, the information is consistent, that the best and most popular spot is always the avenue through the Seimon (正門, main gate) leading to the Yasuda Auditorium. And the best route to follow is always to begin at Todaimae Station, enter the Hongo campus from the northwest gate and walk south towards Hongo-sanchome Station. (Todai's website has maps.) So we simply followed that advice.

Ginkgo trees outside the Yayoi Auditorium, Todai

But I have to add that along the way to the Seimon, the ginkgo trees at the Faculty of Agriculture area are pretty awesome as well. We zipped in through the first gate, the Noseimon (農正門), as we walked south from Todaimae Station.

Noseimon, Todai

The Noseimon itself is rather beautiful - though not as old as the Akamon (which I missed!!!). The original Noseimon dated back to the 1930s. The current gate is the 2nd version of the original, dating to 2003 when the gate was repaired using cypress (hinoki) from Kiso in Nagano, Japan.

Ginkgo-lined avenue between the Seimon and the Yasuda Auditorium, Todai

The avenue of ginkgo trees between the Seimon and Yasuda Auditorium a famous and popular autumn spot. Well, Todai is generally famous for its ginkgo brilliance in the autumn. But this particular ginkgo-lined avenue is considered a symbol of Todai.

The avenue was created in 1906 with ginkgo trees transplanted from the Koishikawa Botanical Gardens (小石川植物園). At the time, Todai's President consulted Professor Seiroku Honda for the avenue's design; the latter was the chief designer of Hibiya Park, Japan's first public Western-style park. The avenue was subsequently lengthened, and additional ginkgo trees were added. In 1925, on the completion of the Yasuda Auditorium , the vision of the avenue was finally fulfilled. Todai's ginkgo-lined avenue is be said to be a prototype design, as gingko trees were not typically used for street landscaping at the time this avenue was created. Today, ginkgo-lined streets are everywhere in Tokyo!

Somewhere behind Yasuda Auditorium

The Yasuda Auditorium and several of the nearby buildings in the Hongo campus were built in the so-called "Uchida Gothic" style. Most of the buildings in the Hongo campus were destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The only one that survived the earthquake was the Faculty of Science Chemistry Building. Following that, many of Todai's buildings, including the Yasuda Auditorium, were designed in the Gothic style by Professor Uchida Yoshikazu - such that the architectural style of these buildings have been termed "Uchida Gothic".

Todai

The Yasuda Auditorium itself is also a symbol of Todai, and has been described as "combining German Expressionism with [Professor Uchida's] so-called 'Uchida Gothic' style". It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property in 1996.

Gingko trees all over the Todai Hongo campus.

There were patches of brilliant ginkgo trees around the back of the Yasuda Auditorium, the Engineering Faculty buildings, and the area around the Co-op Bookstore.

The famous ginkgo tree on the Todai Hongo campus

Just off the avenue, in front of the Engineering Building No. 1, is an impressive ginkgo tree with an umbrella-like crown. Apparently it's famous.

Carpet of leaves, let's play!

Unfortunately, I got so excited about the ginkgo trees that I forgot about the Edo period Akamon and the statue of Hachiko and Professor Ueno. But I didn't forget the Sanshiro Pond, another historical landmark at Todai.

The Sanshiro Pond (三四郎池) dates to 1615, and is also located on land owned by the Maeda family. After Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Toyotomi Hideyori in the Siege of Osaka, the Tokugawa shogun gave this pond and the surrounding garden to Maeda Toshitsune (前田 利常; 1594-1658), the 2nd daimyo of the Kaga Domain.

Sanshiro Pond, Todai

The garden was subsequently developed by Maeda Tsunanori (前田 綱紀; 1643-1724), the 4th daimyo of the Kaga Domain, and became known as one of the most beautiful gardens in Edo at the time. The pond's official name is Ikutoku-en Shinji-ike, as the garden was known as Ikutoku-en ("garden of teaching virtue"), but the pond became commonly known as Sanshiro-ike after Natsume Soseki's novel Sanshiro.

So, as mentioned above, most of the land on which the Hongo campus stands formerly belonged to the Maeda clan, daimyo of the Kaga, Toyama and Daishoji Domains. Interestingly (coincidentally?), the Maeda clan was a branch of the Sugawara clan that descended from Sugawara Michizane, famed scholar and kami of scholars (discussed in my post on Kitano Tenmangu). So, is it me or is there some link here - a university on the land of descendants of famed scholar and later deified kami for scholars and academic success. Is that why Todai is consistently ranked as one of the top Asian universities? Some mystical connection to the god of scholars? (I am not actually serious.)

******* 

More on Elizabeth's Japanese Autumn, November 2016

- I. Yokohama & the Miho Museum - Chinatown (Heichinrou, Yokohama Mazu Temple) ● Yamashita Park ● Zou-no-Hana ● Osanbashi Pier ● Yokohama Red Brick Warehouses ● Miho Museum

- II. Kyoto - Tofukuji ● Kiyomizudera ● Sohonzan Komyoji ● Eikando Zenrinji ● Manshuin Monzeki ● Iwakura Jissoin Monzeki ● Nanzenji, Nanzenin & Tenjuan ● Kitano Tenmangu ● Shugakuin Imperial Villa ● Sento Imperial Palace ● Kyoto Imperial Palace

- III. Tokyo - Tokyo University ● Rikugien ● Tokyo Imperial Palace & the East Gardens ● Kotonoha no Niwa trip to at Shinjuku Gyoen ● Italian at Salvatore Cuomo Bros., XEX Tokyo ● Sushi Masuda ● Nishiazabu Taku (aka Sushi Taku) ● Sushi Nakamura (1st taste of Juyondai) ● Sushi Tokami (1st taste of tossaki) ● molecular gastronomy at Tapas Molecular Bar ● French-Japanese at La Paix, Nihonbashi

- IV: Fuji Five Lakes - Part 1 (Bessho Sasa, revisited) ● Part 2 (Fuji Subaru 5th Station, Motosuko & Koyodai) ● Part 3 (Fujisansaku Park, Motosuko, Shojiko, Saiko, Kawaguchiko)

*******