The main wooden structure of Nagasaki Confucian Shrine has stood since 1893. At the center of Taisei Hall is a 6.5 foot seated statue of Confucius, the largest in Japan. Flanking it are the encased mortuary tablets of the Four Sages: Zengzi, Zisi, Mencius and Yan Hui, the favorite disciple of Confucius. In Chinese culture, vermillion (red) is considered to be the color of life
