Ueno park

Ueno park was the first public park of Japan. And it is often considered the cultural heart of Tokyo with a near infinite amount of recreational value. As the park is filled to the brim with activities it’s not as calm and natural as the other parks, but Ueno park is a wonderful place that you cannot miss when you visit Tokyo.

Ueno park is mostly known for housing the most interesting museums in Tokyo. You will find the Tokyo National Museum here, which is arguably the most important museum in Japan and spans five buildings, and the National Museum of Nature and Science. The Ueno Zoo can be found in this park, which is the oldest zoo in Japan and houses crocodiles, giraffes and even cute panda bears. The Ueno Zoo also has one of the architectural highlights of Tokyo, which is the prestigious five story Kan’ei-ji temple.

It’s also an excellent location for cherry blossom viewing, which can be found around the main pathway and across the pond. You can even rent a small boat to romantically enjoy the nature from the Shinobazu Pond, which is a pond filled to the brim with the typically Japanese lotus beds.

The park is also home to multiple religious shrines in traditional Japanese architecture, such as the beautiful centuries old Shinto shrine, called the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, and the Bentendo temple in the heart of the pond dedicated to the goddess of fortune.

At Meet The Cities we have grown a certain fondness of this park in Tokyo. And if you are on a cultural trip to Japan you will inevitably find yourself in this park as well.