Attractions > Tokyo > Other Attractions > Ueno

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Standing in the cetner of Ueno Park by Colorado Jones for SnapJapan.com

 

About

Ueno Park is located right next to the Ueno Station in central Tokyo and it is famous for many museums and Ueno Zoo on its grounds. Established in 1873 the park was built on some of the lands belonging to the Kaneiji Temple. After the "Battle of Ueno" in 1868, during the Boshin War, many of the Kaneiji Temple buildings were destroyed and the property became the property of the city of Tokyo. Many proposals were put forth but a Dutch doctor, named Bauduin, urged that a "Western Style" park be built. A statue of Saigo Takamori, one of the generals in the Battle of Ueno, stands near the park's southern entrance.

Ueno park is very large and especially popular with Tokyo'ites. The park contains numerous museums and attractions which draw tourists year round. Some of the temples and museums found around the area are: Kaneiji Temple, Toshogu Shrine, Bentendo, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, National Museum of Western Art. Of course during cherry blossom season Ueno Park is litterally packed with Japanese enjoying their favorite time of the year. They lay down mats, chat, eat, sleep and sing karaoke under the blossoms.

In the summer Ueno Park is usually packed with people because of all the attractions around the park. There are also many street performers you can enjoy while strolling through the park (the city of Tokyo gives "Stree Performing Licenses" to these performers). Be aware that it can get quite hot and muggy during the summer so an early morning or late afternoon visit may be your best bet. You can literally spend a whole day in Ueno park visiting the zoo, the attractions, watching perfomers and having lunch but if your in Tokyo for a short period of time, just hit the "Main Attractions" and then spend some time in Ueno City too.

Below the map is a list of some of the more popular attractions in and around Ueno Park.

Areas of Interest in and around Ueno Park

Kaneji Temple Founded in 1625, Kaneji Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai Sect. The temple was meant to emulate the powerful Enryakuji temple in Kyoto. Kaneiji Temple is extremely significant because it was only one of two temples that acted as the funeral temple for Shoguns, and was the spot of one of the biggest and final battles that put an end to Shogun rule... see more details.

Kiyomizu Kannon Temple The current temple was built in 1631 (although the original temple was started around 628 AD when a group of fishermen found a small gold statue in their nets), its design was inspired by the Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto (although this is a much smaller temple). The temple is home to an image of Kosodate Kannon, the goddess of conception and women who have difficulty conceiving make homage to Kosodate Kannon. Kiyomizu Kannon Temple has been recognized as a national treasure.

Toshogu Shrine is dedicated to the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu. The style Toshogu in Ueno is similar to the shrine in Nikko (also called Toshogu) where Tokugawa Ieyasu is buried. Built in 1627, The Ueno Toshogu Shrine has withstood earthquakes, fires, the Battle of Ueno, World War 2 and is one of Tokyo's oldest buildings. The huge lantern on the left before the first gate is one of the largest in Japan. Karamon, the front gate of the temple, is famous for its dragon carvings.

Benten Hall Temple on Shinobazu Pond Floating on the water of Shinobazu Pond, Bentendo Hall is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Benzaiten or the Goddess of the arts, knowledge and wisdom. Today, Benzaiten is sought or prayed for success in examination and good fortune. The original structure of Bentendo lasted for almost three centuries, alas it was destroyed during the air raid in 1945. The present structure was rebuilt in 1958.

Tokyo National Museum or locally known as the Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, established in 1872, is Japan's largest and oldest museum in the country. It is also the largest art museum in Japan too. The museums goal is to house and preserve Asian art with a focus on Japan. The museum houses over 100,000 objects, 87 Japanese National Treasures and over 500 Cultural Properties... see more details.

National Science Museum (in Japanese; Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan 国立科学博物館) opened in 1871. The museum has both Natural History (an impressive amount of mammal and dinosaur exhibits) and science exhibits with "hands-on" interactive experiments. They even have a "Pre-Meiji" exhibit of what science was like in Japan during those... see more details.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum has everything from traditional Japanese art to art nouveau. There is no permanent collection, but multiple exhibitions are displayed by various art artists/groups. From oil paintings to calligraphy, pottery and sculpture, this is the place where contemporary Japanese artists show off their work. Exhibitions change periodically, so... see more details.

National Museum of Western Art (Homepage) is a "premier" public art gallery and the only national museum in Japan devoted to Western art. Established in 1959 under the art collection of Matsukata Jojiro, Matsukata hoped the museum would become "The" national museum specializing in Western Art and hoped that the people of Japan would come to the museum to appreciate what Western Art had to offer. Along side it's permanent collection, every so often (usually on a "yearly" basis) the museums "Special Exhibition" changes using collections from private parties and or other museums. Pease see the National Museum of Western Art's website for more details.

Shitamachi Museum (Homepage) A smaller museum compared to the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku, this museum makes an interesting stop on your travels. It shows how Tokyo'ites lived during 1868 (Meiji Restoration) through 1923 (The Great Kanto Earthquake). They have re-creations of merchant shops, a coppersmith, a workshop and more. Everything has a hands-on intimacy at this nice little museum. "Shitamachi" basically means "downtown" and this nostalgic museum has exhibits and reconstructions that show what life was like in Tokyo from the late Meiji to early Showa Periods. Pease see the Shitamachi Museum website for more details.

Ueno Zoo is Japan's oldest and largest zoo and easily accessible. Just a 5 min. - 10 min. walk from Ueno station through Ueno park and you can reach the zoo entrance. Opening in 1882 as a menagerie as part of the National Museum of History at that time, it was gradually transformed into a zoo by naturalist Tanaka Yoshio. At the zoo... see more details.

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Ueno

Uenokoen
Taitou-ku, Tokyo 110-0007 Japan

Tel: 03-3828-5644

Ueno Park is across the street from Ueno Station when you exit the Ueno Station Park Exit.

Google Map

 

Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Ueno Park.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: Ueno Park itself is open all the time. However, the many attractions listed below each have their own operating hours. Please see each listing individually for operating hours.

Cost: Free

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.

 

Resources

Website: Ueno Park Homepage