Ueno

Available Railways

How to go to Ueno from TOKYO Station

Keihin Tohoku Line (towards Oomiya/Minami Urawa) 5 minutes 京浜東北線　大宮・南浦和行き　5分
Yamanote Line (towards Ueno/Ikebukuro) 3 minutes 山手線　上野・池袋行き　3分

JR (Japan Railway)

Keihin Tohoku Line 京浜東北線
Toban/Narita Line 常磐・成田線
Toban Line 常磐線
Takasaki Line 高崎線
Tohoku Line 東北本線
Yamate Line 山手線

Shinkansen (bullet train)

Akita Shinkansen 秋田新幹線
Jouetsu Shinkansen 上越新幹線
Tohoku Shinkansen 東北新幹線
Nagano Shinkansen 長野新幹線
Yamagata Shinkansen 山形新幹線

Subway

Tokyo Metro Ginza Line 東京メトロ銀座線
Tokyo Metro 東京メトロ日比谷線

，，，東京都交通局（バス）

Others

Kyosei Dentetsu Line 京成電鉄本線
Toei Bus 都営バス

History

The history of “Ueno” begins from the erection of Kaneiji (Kanei-temple) by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun in 1625 Edo period. This temple was erected for defending against the unlucky direction where the Edo temple is located, and at present six of the fifteen Tokugawa shoguns sleep in the Kaneiji grave. After the erection, this area was called “Ueno”, developed as a temple town. About the derivation of the name “Ueno”, although various opinions are advocated, it is not sure which one is the right answer. One of the derivations is “top of this area is field”, because “Ue” means top or up, and “no” means field in Japanese.
For another historical characteristic, Ueno Park was exploited in the end of Meiji period, 1873. Then, a foreign doctor contributed to exploit the new park; he was a medical officer, Dr. Baudin from the Netherlands. At that time the temple was ruined by the war, and the Japanese government planned to build hospitals in affiliation with university there. But, Dr. Baudin advanced the exploiting park to protect the abundant nature, so it became the first park completed in Japan. Without Baudin, the place would not be the park it is today.
Also, Ueno station practiced to connect Ueno to Kumagaya (the North of Saitama) in 1883. As a result, the Ueno station prospered as a gateway to the North. Now there are four exits (Chuo-gate, Shinobazu-gate, Kouen-gate and Iriya-gate), more than 170 thousand people use the station. In recent years, grand business facilities are developed in the station by the renewal, so that young women could enjoy shopping about fashionable clothes, sundry goods, sweets, etc.

Tourist Attractions

Ameya Yokotyou

A shopping arcade called “Ameyoko”
A lot of people come to shopping even in the weekdays, and 200~300 thousands of people come to buy products for the New Year in the end of the Year. It is interesting to make the products discount by the negotiation to the clerks. Including some low-priced snacks like a bite sized fruit, many Japanese sweets and Ameyoko special products are sold, so you would enjoy shopping eating them.
There are some opinions about the derivations of “Ameya” as same as “Ueno”. One of the opinions says; in those days many shops sold candies, so it became “Ame(=Candy) ya(shop)”, and the other says; after the war, American products were on the market sold by the American soldiers, and became“Ame(=America) ya(=shop)”.

Length:

About 400 meters long.

Number of shops:

About 400 (foods, clothes, etc)

Tel:

0422-47-6900

HP:

http://www.ameyoko.net

Tokyo Kokuritu Hakubutsukan (Tokyo National Museum)

Japanese and Oriental arts and handiworks are exhibited.

This is the first Japanese museum built in 1872. 10 years later, the museum moved to the present place in Ueno Park. This museum consists of five pavilions: (1) Hon-kan exhibiting Japanese historical materials, arts and crafts, (2) Toyo-kan exhibiting Oriental arts and relics, (3) Heisei-kan having special exhibition room, (4) Houryuji-Houmotsu-kan preserving and exhibiting treasures dedicated to Horyuji temple, (5) Hyokei-kan used for spread of the education. All of the pavilions are magnificent, and are recognized as important cultural property. Various exhibition and event are held all the year around, you can see the schedule at the HP.
Access:

5 minutes’ walk from the Uenokouen exit of JR Ueno station.

Fee:

600 yen (adults), 400 yen (University Students)

Openig Hours:

9:30 ~ 17:00 (Monday is closed)

HP:

http://www.tnm.jp/jp/servlet/Con?pageId=X00/processId=00

Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (National Museum of Nature and Science)

A lot of things are exhibited about Science, Technology, Earth, Space, Animals, Plants and so on.

This museum was the only national science museum built in 1877, in which about 3500 thousand collection about nature, science and technology were exhibited and protected. The museum consists two pavilions: Nihon-kan and Chikyu-kan. Although Nihon-kan was originally called Hon-kan, it was repaired to Nihon-kan from April in 2007. In this pavilion, you can learn the environment, the animals, the history of the archipelago and people in Japan. Chikyu-kan was called Shin-kan, but it was repaired in 2004. There are various exhibitions about nature, science and technology like space, dinosaur, creature evolution, a physical phenomenon, etc.
Besides, the museum has “Theater 360” which was called “Room of Earth” in 2005 Aichi Expo. After the expo, it was moved to the museum, and people in the theater can experience the images and sounds from 360°direction.

Access:

5 minutes’ walk from the Uenokouen exit of JR Ueno station

Fee:

600 yen (adults, university students)

Openig Hours:

9:30 ~ 17:00 (Monday is closed)

HP:

http://www.kahaku.go.jp/

Personal Recommendation Best 3

★Statues★
Many statues are in Ueno. Some statues are the famous historical characters, and others are also interesting. Having the knowledge about these statues, you would be able to look at them more deeply.

1. SAIGOU, Takamori

This is the one of the most popular statues in Japan. Takamori Saigo from the Satsuma Clan (the present Kagoshima Prefecture) flourished for Japanese politics in boundary between Edo and Meiji Period. He exerted to succeed the Meiji Restoration, which played an important part in new Meiji government. Many people recognize him as a historical vital character, and love him still now.
His statue was made in 1898 by Kouun Takamura (1852~1934) who was also a famous engraver in Japan. He left some masterpieces like “Rouen”which was showed in Shicago Expo in 1893,and now exhibited in Tokyo National Museum. The dog next to Saigou is called “Tsun” which is made by Sadayuki Gotou. This statue is a symbol of Ueno, so many tourists always take its picture.

2. Whale

This is a statue of Blue Whale　which is the biggest creature in the earth. It is exhibited outside of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Amazingly the total length is 30 meters long, so you can find it soon even from far away.
The whale lives on the krill and sardines about four ton per a day. To catch such fishes which are small and move quickly, the whale often swims with complex posture. The statue exhibited upside-down shows the unique figure of the whale.
Originally, 300 thousand Blue Whales inhabited in the world. But, the number has decreased to 7 thousand because of too much hunting, so that at present the whales are recognized as endangered species, and it is prohibited to hunt them.

3. Kappa

This is a statue of Kappa which is the Japanese popular imaginary animal living in the river. It is said that it loses energy due to the damage of the dish on the head. The Cucumber is its favorite food,and Sushi rolls of cucumber is called “Kappa roll” in Japan.
The interesting statue is in the start point of Ameya Yokotyou. The word “賑わい” meaning bustle or activity in English is carved down the statue, so you could understand that the Kappa was made for a great success of the shopping arcade. However, the official data about the statue: the name and the maker and the date of making are unknown. If you know some details of this statue, please edit.

★Handprints★
In Ueno Park, there are some handprints and signature of very famous Japanese people who contributed to each field like sports and performing arts in Japan. Because they are famous to the all of the Japanese people, it is better to know them when you visit Japan.

1. MISORA, Hibari

MISORA, Hibari (1937-1989) is a singer and actor representative of Showa period. She appeared in many movies and released many songs, some of the them became million sellers. In the next month after her death, she received, as a first woman, a “Kokumin- Eiyo prize” which was awarded to celebrate people who had an impressive record of achievement from Japanese prime minister.
Still now, her popularity are not lost. Monuments of a photograph of her deceased but the monuments inscribed with a poem increased, which are in the Fukuoka prefecture, and the street of her name “Hibari Avenue” was made there. “MISORA, Hibari-kan” in which her beloved commodities and her collections are exhibited is also in Kyoto prefecture. Recently, her life was dramatized for television, and the movies starring her were re-made again. MISORA, Hibari is a national star.

2. OH, Sadaharu

OH, Sadaharu (1940~) is a former baseball player in Yomiuri Giants, and the present baseball manager in Softbank Hawks. His father is a Chinese and his mother is a Japanese, and he has a Chinese nationality. The record of the total 868 home run is the world record until now, so that his name is well-known all over the world. When he broke Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron’s 755 home run record in 1977, Oh received the first national glory prize from the then prime minister Fukuda.
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2006, he steered the team Japan to the first championship as the manager of the team. It is sure that OH, Sadaharu is one of the most famous baseball players in Japan.

3. YAMASHITA, Yasuhiro

YAMASHITA, Yasuhiro (1957~) is a Judoka who won the gold medal in 1984 Los Angeles Olympic. His winning streak to 203 games before the retirement is the great record no one has not broken. Also he received national glory prize as the youngest when he was 27 in 1984.
At present, he plays many important roles: professor in Tokai University, manager in the Judo club, the chief director in some institution about Judo. There are some books written by him, and the book describing his life became a movie. Because of the overwhelming strength, he is called the strongest Judoka in the history.