Tokyo Walking Tour 2h15 and 19 audio reviews

You are on a driveway that divides Shinobazu Pond, the main watering hole in Ueno Park.

Built in 1631 by Tenkai, the founder of the Tendai sect, Kannon-do Temple is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Unlike many other monuments, it survived time and only underwent restorations to restore it to its original state.

This is the Bentendreo Temple, located in the heart of Shinobazu Lake. The choice of its location was not left to chance. Built in the early 17th century, at the beginning of the Edo period, it is dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of wealth, happiness, wisdom and music.

As you have seen, this park is full of wonders to discover, which retrace past events and traditions of the city! But let’s go back to its history together, to understand its importance and the enthusiasm it arouses among visitors from all over the world.

Here is a monument to Dr. Wani, a scholar who is said to have come from Korea to introduce Confucianism to Japan. But this is just one side of the story. Because we don’t really know if this is true, and even if this character, the famous Doctor Wani, actually existed.

If there is a statue that cannot be missed in Ueno Park, it is this! Proudly seated on his faithful steed, this man played such an important role for the country that he found himself there, in one of Tokyo’s best-known parks, sitting several meters above sea level.

You have in front of you a Shinto shrine, called Ueno Tosho-gu. Tosho was the posthumous name of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the very first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, the great dynasty that ruled Japan between 1603 and 1868.

Ueno Zoo is the oldest zoo in the country. It contains hundreds of different animal species from all over the world, but the real stars of this zoo are undoubtedly the two pandas that have resided there since 2011, called Ri Ri and Shin Shin, and their little baby born in 2017 that attracts crowds from around the world.

Much more modern than the other monuments that can be seen in Ueno Park, this building is none other than the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. It is the first public art museum in the country.

It is a beautiful Western style that characterizes the building that is on your left. It is the Sogakudo Concert Hall, the oldest such hall in Japan. When it was inaugurated in 1890, it belonged to the Tokyo School of Music, then it served for the city’s University of the Arts until the 1970s.

Here you are in the heart of the Tokyo University of the Arts campus, the most prestigious art school in the country! And also the oldest... The University of the Arts, officially, was founded in 1949, but it actually includes the School of Fine Arts, which dates from 1885, and the School of Music, established in 1879.

This visit is quite special, as it is a cemetery, but it is not just any: it is certainly one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Tokyo.

It should be noted that Ueno Park was built on an ancient religious complex, in this case, the largest and most important Buddhist temple in the capital.

Welcome to the building that houses the largest collection of art and archaeological objects in the country! Founded in 1872, it is also the oldest Japanese museum.

While Ueno Park offers a little break from nature in the heart of one of the most populated cities in the world, it also offers an excellent cultural offer thanks to the many museums it has.

For those who couldn’t tie in with Japanese art, here’s a museum that reveals works that we, as French, all know! Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh or Picasso decorate the walls of this exceptional building that was built by Le Corbusier.

This is the newest museum you can find in Ueno Park, since it opened in 1972. It is also the only private museum, it is managed by the Japan Art Association, the oldest art association in Japan.

The building in front of you is the Shitamachi Museum, Tokyo’s museum of folk arts and traditions. It is a very interesting site to know the history of the city, especially the so-called Edo period, during which Tokyo developed rapidly between 1603 and 1868.

Here you are in front of Shinobazu Pond and more precisely in one of the most interesting parts: this is where lotuses come to bloom and spread their huge leaves every summer!