Haunted Painting Exhibition Featuring Artifacts from Rakugo Revival Master Sanyutei Encho at Zenshoan (Aug 1–31)

Sanyutei Encho (1839–1900), revered as the reviver of rakugo comedy, was active from the late Edo to the Meiji period and created masterpieces such as "Botan Doro" (The Peony Lantern), "Shinkei Rui-kai," and "Shinigami" (The Death God). To inspire his ghost story compositions, Encho collected numerous paintings of yūrei (ghosts) and supernatural beings. These include works attributed to Maruyama Okyo, as well as pieces by famed artists such as Shibata Zeshin, Ito Seiyo, and Kawanabe Kyosai. Today, these uniquely eerie artworks are preserved at Zenshoan Temple, the resting place of Encho’s grave, and are specially exhibited for one month each August.

Exhibition: Haunted Paintings Linked to Sanyutei Encho, the Father of Modern Rakugo

From left: Ito Seiyo, "Bakemono: Nyobo no Enoki"; Ikeda Ayaoka, "Sara Yashiki" (The Plate Mansion); Hirezaki Eitou, "Ghost Before a Mosquito Net" — all housed at Zenshoan.

【Event Overview】

Zenshoan Haunted Painting Exhibition

・Location: Zenshoan Temple (5-4-7 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo)

・Dates: August 1 (Sat) – August 31 (Mon), 2026 — open on weekends and public holidays

・Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:30)

・Admission: 500 JPY

・Access: 10-minute walk from JR/Keisei Nippori Station; 5-minute walk from Sendagi Station (Donkozaka Exit), Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line

Sanyutei Encho (1839–1900) was a leading figure in the rakugo world during the Bakumatsu and Meiji eras, widely recognized as the original author of classics like "Kaidan Botan Doro," "Shinkei Rui-ga-fuchi," and "Bunshichi Motomegai." His influence continues to extend beyond rakugo into kabuki and the broader world of Japanese performing arts. On a personal level, guided by Zenshoan’s founder, Yamaoka Tesshu, Encho deeply studied Zen, achieving the spiritual state of "gei-zen ichinyo" (art and Zen as one). He was bestowed the honorific title "Mushetsu Koji" (Silent Scholar) by Priest Tekisui of Kyoto’s Tenryu-ji Temple. The collection of ghost paintings cherished by Encho is now housed at Zenshoan, donated by the Fujihara family, who preserved Encho’s legacy after his passing. The collection includes uniquely styled ghost paintings by prominent late Edo and Meiji-era artists such as attributed works by Maruyama Okyo, Shibata Zeshin, Kikuchi Yosai, Matsumoto Hoka, Ito Seiyo, and Kawanabe Kyosai.

Each year, during the month of August—coinciding with Encho’s memorial period—Zenshoan displays approximately thirty ghost paintings to the public.

Zenshoan Temple, Rinzai School Kokutaiji Branch

【About Zenshoan】

Founded in 1883 by Yamaoka Tesshu, Zenshoan was established to honor those who sacrificed their lives during the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. In March 1868, as government forces advanced toward Edo Castle, Tesshu, acting on orders from the 15th Tokugawa shogun, Yoshinobu, journeyed alone to the enemy’s headquarters in Shizuoka. There, he met with Chief of Staff Saigo Takamori and successfully negotiated the bloodless opening of Edo Castle, saving the city’s citizens from war and ensuring the Tokugawa family’s survival. From 1872 to 1882, Tesshu served as a personal attendant to Emperor Meiji, profoundly influencing the emperor’s spiritual development and helping shape the visionary Meiji Emperor. A master of swordsmanship, Zen, and calligraphy, Tesshu founded the Mutō-ryū (No-Sword School) of swordsmanship. Due to his connections, Zenshoan is the final resting place of notable figures such as rakugo master Sanyutei Encho, patriot Arao Sei, revolutionary Yamada Ryo, Okada Mitsuru, oil developer Ishizaka Shuzo, Hasegawa Shoichi, painter Matsumoto Hoka, and educator Tanahashi Ayako. The temple also houses fifty ghost paintings once cherished by Encho and one hundred观音 paintings by renowned Meiji and Taisho-era calligraphers.

【Head Priest: Shosho Hirai】

Shosho Hirai is the seventh and current head priest of Zenshoan, a Rinzai Zen temple in Ueno’s Yanaka district, founded in 1883 by Yamaoka Tesshu—the famed samurai philosopher known for his writings on bushido and connections to the Shinsengumi. Hirai is renowned for his lectures interpreting Tesshu’s philosophy of bushido and Zen for modern life. He conducts regular training sessions, including zazen (meditation) seminars for new employees, corporate leadership programs, and workshops for government agencies such as the Diet, National Police Agency, and Personnel Bureau. He has authored and edited over 15 books.