Ueno Area Where Samurai Fell and Japan Rose

We will walk through Kanei-ji temple where 6 of 15 shoguns from the last shogunate are buried.

After the Meiji Restoration, Japan rushed to modernize in many areas. Sogakudo was a pioneer of cultural modernization (especially in the field of music). Built in 1890, it was Japan's first Western-style music hall. Pioneers of modern Japanese music studied and performed here.

Feudal lords used to have a residence in Edo, the former Tokyo. We will see a gate belonging to the residence of one of the powerful lords during the Edo period. Not only marvel at the grandeur of the gate but learn from your guide how the shogunate maintained its grip over the lords.

During the Battle of Ueno, the gate was struck by heavy gunfire as the imperial forces fought the Shogunate loyalists. Even today, the gate bears bullet and cannonball marks, making it one of the few surviving structures in Tokyo that still physically shows battle damage from the civil war that ended the shogunate. Learn from the guide about the last days of the Shogunate.

As a Dutch military doctor invited by the Shogunate in the 1860s, he played a significant role in creating Ueno Park. In some sense, he contributed to enhancing Japan’s standing in soft power. Learn how from your guide.

Grant and his wife visited Japan right after completing his presidency in 1879. Japan welcomed them warmly and held a ceremony to plant commemorative trees, which symbolized U.S.–Japan friendship. Learn from your guide how the U.S. and Japan nurtured a friendship after the American fleet led by Commodore Perry forced Japan to open up.

Dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the last shogunate, the shrine was built with the support of influential feudal lords and later expanded, reflecting the Tokugawa shogunate’s prestige. Experience Edo-period history, architecture, and atmosphere without leaving central Tokyo.

Built in the same timing as Great Buddha of Ueno, this temple was popular among the common people of Edo and has also been the subject of wood block prints. See how the view is depicted in the prints.