Ueno Tokyo Guide
Ueno Tokyo is an area of Tokyo that has an older feel to it and offers attractions like Ueno Park (Ueno Koen),
Ueno Zoo, several renown museums, and Ameyoko, a cool street market. Most of the interesting attractions in Ueno Tokyo are all bunched together near Ueno Park and Ueno Station for easy access.
Ameyoko (Ameya Yokocho)
Originally a black market for American blue jeans, candy, and other hard-to-find items immediately following WWII,
Ameyoko is a cool street market located just outside Ueno Station.
Here, you can walk up and down the rows of narrow streets full of vendors hawking everything from fresh seafood and produce,
clothing, handbags, trinkets, jewelry, candy, and more.
When visiting Ameyoko, keep an eye out for this fun candy vendor, which always attracts a crowd with his boisterous and
theatrical sales pitch and overflowing bags of candy sold for just 1,000 yen each.
Ueno Park (Ueno Koen)
Located just steps from Ueno Station, Ueno Park is a lovely, expansive park. With over 1,000 cherry (sakura) trees, Ueno Park is well known as one of Tokyo’s
most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing (hanami). Ueno Koen is home to three museums, the Ueno Zoo, a concert hall,
Toshogu Shrine, and a large pond (Shinobazu Pond) with a shrine in the middle (Benzaiten Shrine).
All of which makes Ueno Park a great Tokyo sightseeing destination year round.
Ueno Park Museums
Ueno Park is home to three of Tokyo’s most renown museums as well as Ueno Zoo:
Tokyo National Museum
Houses a treasure trove of arts and artifacts from Japan’s beginning to the present age.
Hours: 9:30 to 17:00, Friday 9:30 to 20:00 (last admission 30 min. before closing);
closed Mondays and during the New Year holiday
Admission: 600 yen for adults; 400 yen for college students; free for minors and seniors.
National Museum of Western Art Tokyo
The National Museum of Western Art was established in April 1959 for the purpose of providing the
public with opportunities to appreciate Western art.
Hours: 9:30 to 17:00, Friday 9:30 to 20:00 (last admission 30 min. before closing);
closed Mondays and during the New Year holiday
Admission: 420 yen for adults; 130 yen for college students; free for minors and seniors.
National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
This museum was established in 1871 and contains an impressive body of natural science exhibitions.
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00, Friday until 20:00 (last admission 30 min. before closing); closed Mondays and during the New Year holiday
Admission: 600 yen for adults; free for minors.
Ueno Zoological Gardens
Established in 1882, Ueno Zoo is Japan’s oldest and most famous zoo. It is home to over 2500 animals from 464 different species.
Here you can view gorillas, elephants, lions, tigers, and many other creatures of the wild.
Hours: 9:30 to 16:30 (last admission 30 min. before closing); closed Mondays and during the New Year holiday
Admission: 600 yen for adults; 300 yen for seniors, 200 yen for students (13-15), free for kids 12 and under.
Ueno Station
Ueno Station is a major Tokyo station that conveniently connects a number of train lines. There is a Hard Rock Cafe here as well.
Tokyo Metro Lines
Ginza Line
Hibiya Line
Local JR Lines
Yamanote Line
Joban Line
Keihin Tohoku Line
Takasaki Line
Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
JR Shinkansen Lines
Akita Shinkansen
Joetsu Shinkansen
Nagano Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
Yamagata Shinkansen
With its old-world charm, expansive park, renown museums, and spring cherry-blossom viewing,
Ueno Tokyo is definitely worth a visit!
|
