Letter
Megacity One
3 June 2021
Jordan Sand mentions the guardian role of two great Tendai Buddhist temples, Enryaku-ji in Kyoto, and Kan’ei-ji in Edo (LRB, 3 June). In Chinese geomancy, the north-east was considered the entrance for evil forces, and Mount Hiei, where Enryaku-ji was founded in 788, was north-east of the emperor’s new seat in Kyoto. Although barely more than a hillock, Ueno Hill, the site chosen for Kan’ei-ji,...
