Ueno Park

Background

Ueno Park, officially Ueno Onshi Kōen (Ueno Imperial Gift Park), lies in Taitō City, Tokyo. It consists of a plateau known as "Ueno no Yama" and Shinobazu Pond, and covers about 53.8 hectares. In and around the park are museums such as the Tokyo National Museum, art galleries and a zoo; Ameyoko in Ueno lies a short distance to the south. The land once belonged to the temple of Kan'ei-ji. Founded in 1625, the temple stood in the northeast "demon gate" direction from Edo Castle; in 1868, the Battle of Ueno during the Boshin War destroyed most of its buildings, and only a few, including the five-storey pagoda and the Kiyomizu Kannondō, survive today as Important Cultural Properties. In 1873 the grounds were made into a park following Western examples, one of Japan's first public parks. Other sights in the park include the Bentendō, a shrine to the goddess Benzaiten on the island in Shinobazu Pond; Ueno Tōshōgū, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu; the statue of Saigō Takamori; and the remains of the Ueno Daibutsu. The park has about 800 cherry trees, or about 1,200 including the surrounding shrine and temple grounds.

Local customs

• Stroll and enjoy the cherry blossom in spring
• walk around Shinobazu Pond, visit the Bentendō on its island and see the pond full of lotuses in summer
• seek out historic sites such as Ueno Tōshōgū, the Kiyomizu Kannondō and the statue of Saigō Takamori.

Travel tips

• The cherry blossom usually peaks from late March to early April, when crowds are enormous, so go off-peak if you can
• at other times of year there are summer lotuses and autumn leaves, and the lawns and pond are pleasant for walks. The park is large, so you can link the historic sites on the plateau with the Shinobazu Pond area into one walking route
• allow separate time for the museums, galleries and zoo.
• Ueno Station (JR and subway) is right beside the park, within walking distance (check official notices for services and fares).