Cultural Snapshots

Ueno Park: A Tokyo Destination for Fans of Art, Animals, and History

Culture Society

One of Japan’s oldest designated parks, Ueno Park in Tokyo is famous for its zoo, museums, and cherry blossoms.
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Cultural Associations

Ueno Park is a large, green space in northeastern Tokyo known for its cultural associations, with museums including Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the National Museum of Western Art. Ueno Zoo, within the park, also attracts many visitors. In spring, there are spectacular cherry blossoms, while in summer, lotus flowers bloom on Shinobazu Pond.

The entire area where Ueno Park now stands was once the grounds of the temple Kan’eiji. In 1868, several temple buildings were destroyed in battle as the new Meiji government stamped out resistance from loyalists to the fallen shogunate. In 1873, the new government designated the area as one of Japan’s first parks. Three years after Ueno Park opened, Emperor Meiji attended an official opening ceremony on May 9, 1876. The temple Kan’eiji remains today, although its grounds are only one tenth of their former size.

(Originally written in English. Banner image © Pixta.)

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