About
As you walk through the quiet residential streets of Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, a tranquil water surface suddenly appears before you. This is “Kenashi Pond.” The area around the pond is covered with lotus leaves, and at the height of summer, their greenery completely blankets the water, creating a scene that looks as if a green carpet has been spread out. By the edge of the pond stands Seiryu Shrine, which has watched over this land since ancient times.
A legend has been passed down about a white snake that dwells in this pond. Long ago, when the area was struck by drought, villagers performed a rainmaking ritual at the pond. Immediately, rain began to fall, nourishing the fields and paddies. Out of gratitude, Seiryu Shrine was built by the pond, and the white snake came to be worshipped as a water deity.
There are several theories about the origin of the pond’s name. Some say “Kenashi Pond” is a corruption of “Kega Nashi Pond” (meaning “Injury-Free Pond”), while others record it as “Kenashi Pond” (meaning “Hairless Pond”), with a sad legend of a young woman who, troubled by concerns about her body, threw herself into the pond. For this reason, it is said that people with specific wishes sometimes visit Seiryu Shrine.
In 1981, when Seiryu Shrine was struck by fire, there is a story that only a hanging scroll of a dragon, said to be the work of Yokoyama Taikan, remained unscathed. Around the same time, there were also mysterious reports of a giant snake appearing on nearby roads, and these stories remain etched in people’s memories to this day.
Around the pond, you can see anglers, and it is said that crucian carp and koi can be caught there. However, as the pond is considered sacred, signs have been posted asking people to refrain from fishing. Even so, for local residents, it is a place of relaxation, and children can be seen playing, catching medaka fish.
Removed from the bustle of the city, this place, wrapped in silence, offers a mysterious sense of peace to those who visit. The scenery of the sky reflected on the pond’s surface and the lotus leaves swaying in the breeze evokes a feeling as if time itself has stopped. Standing here, one cannot help but feel that the prayers and wishes of people from long ago still live on in this pond.