A one-morning plan for Ueno Park in Tokyo: Kiyomizu Kannon-do, Ueno Toshogu, Shinobazu Pond, the Tokyo National Museum, other museums, and Ueno Zoo, with opening times and Monday closures.
- Ueno Park was established in 1873 on land that had belonged to Kaneiji temple, and is one of Japan's first public parks.
- The Tokyo National Museum, founded in 1872, is described as Japan's oldest museum.
- Most museums and Ueno Zoo close on Mondays, so plan a Ueno morning for another day.
- Start with the shrine and temple halls, then spend the main block of time in one museum.
Next Step
Try calligraphy after Ueno Park
Shitaya Jinja Kaikan is a 6-minute walk from JR Ueno Station. The beginner class is 60 minutes, guided in English.
Before you go
Ueno Park was established in 1873 on land that had been part of Kaneiji, the temple of the Tokugawa shoguns. It was one of the first public parks in Japan. Several of the old temple buildings remain inside the park, alongside the museums added from the Meiji era onward.
Most of the museums and the zoo are closed on Mondays, and open the next day instead when Monday is a national holiday. Check each official site for the current hours, special closures, and admission prices before you go.
A simple order for a morning is to see the outdoor temple and shrine buildings first, go into a museum when it opens, and finish at Shinobazu Pond before lunch.
- Around 9:00: Kiyomizu Kannon-do and Ueno Toshogu
- From 9:30: one museum, or Ueno Zoo
- Late morning: Shinobazu Pond and Bentendo
Early: Kiyomizu Kannon-do and Ueno Toshogu
Kiyomizu Kannon-do is a Kaneiji temple hall first built in 1631 and modeled on Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, with a raised wooden veranda. From the veranda you can see the Moon Pine, a pine trained into a circle. The current tree was planted in 2012 to recreate one shown in a print by Utagawa Hiroshige.
Ueno Toshogu is a shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, founded in 1627. The current buildings date mainly from a 1651 rebuild ordered by the third shogun, Iemitsu, and the gold-decorated shrine buildings are designated Important Cultural Properties. According to the shrine, the inner area opens at 9:00 and there is a fee to enter it. The approach is lined with stone and copper lanterns donated by feudal lords.
Mid-morning: choose one museum
The Tokyo National Museum opens at 9:30 and is closed on Mondays. Founded in 1872, it is described as Japan's oldest museum, and its collection covers Japanese art and archaeology, including calligraphy.
The National Museum of Western Art is in a building designed by Le Corbusier, which became part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing of his works in 2016. The National Museum of Nature and Science opens at 9:00 and covers natural history and science in Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum mainly hosts temporary exhibitions.
- Tokyo National Museum: Japanese art and archaeology
- National Museum of Western Art: Le Corbusier building
- National Museum of Nature and Science: natural history
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum: temporary exhibitions
Shinobazu Pond and Ueno Zoo
Shinobazu Pond is at the southern end of the park. On an island in the pond stands Bentendo, a hall of Kaneiji dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten, which you can walk to. In summer, roughly mid-July to mid-August, part of the pond is covered with lotus flowers, which open in the morning.
Ueno Zoo opened in 1882 and is Japan's first zoo, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It opens at 9:30 and is normally closed on Mondays. If you are traveling with children, the zoo can take most of a morning on its own.
After the park
Our calligraphy classes are held at Shitaya Jinja Kaikan in Higashi-Ueno, about a 6-minute walk from JR Ueno Station on the opposite side of the station from the park. A morning in the park followed by an afternoon beginner class is an easy half day without extra train rides.
If you saw calligraphy at the Tokyo National Museum, the class gives you a chance to try the brush yourself. It is 60 minutes, guided in English, and you take your finished piece home.