160201-0017 - Kameido Tenjin

Shinji Pond, wisteria blossom and a traditional arched bridge at Kameido Tenjin shrine in Tokyo. Early 20th century.

The Kameido shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a political figure and scholar of Chinese literature of the Heian Period (794 – 1185) who is revered as a deity of learning.

The shrine, arched bridge and wisteria trellis were destroyed by US bombing during WWII. They were rebuilt, but the bridge is now made of concrete and lacks girders. The scene has lost much, if not all, of its old charm.

Original caption: “S 957 Wisteria and the round bridge, Kameido, Tokyo. I.”