Tokyo Strolls - Tokyo - page 214

214 viewing in the country. It's also a popular
hangout for Tokyo's homeless population,
which has grown markedly since the reces-
sion. You'll see their makeshift cities—
cardboard, blue tarp, and even clothes
drying on lines—in among the trees.
A landmark near the south entrance to the park is a
bronze:
2 Statue of Takamori Saigo
This is the best-known monument in
Tokyo, if not all of Japan. Born in 1827
near Kagoshima on Kyushu Island, the
samurai Takamori Saigo rose through the
ranks as a soldier and statesman. He
helped restore the emperor to power after
the Tokugawa shogunate's downfall but
later became disenchanted with the Meiji
regime when rights enjoyed by the samurai
class were suddenly rescinded. He led a
revolt against the government that failed
and ended up taking his own life in ritual
suicide. The statue was erected in the
1890s but later became controversial when
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, leader of the
U.S. occupation forces in Japan after
World War II, demanded its removal
because of its nationalistic associations.
Saved by public outcry, the statue depicts
the stout Saigo dressed in a simple cotton
kimono with his hand on his sword.
Ironically, behind the statue of Saigo and slightly to
the left is a memorial dedicated to those very men
Saigo originally opposed. Here lie the:
3 Tombs of the Shogitai Soldiers
These were the die-hard Tokugawa loyal-
ists who resisted Imperial forces on Ueno
Hill in 1868. Tended by descendants of
the soldiers, the grounds contain a small
painting depicting the fierce battle.
Behind and to the left of the war memorial, on the
other side of the pathway, is:
4 Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple
Completed in 1631 as a miniature copy of
the famous Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto
and one of the few buildings left standing
after the battle of 1868, this is one of the
oldest temples in Tokyo. The temple

houses the protectress of childbearing and
child-raising, thereby attracting women
hoping to become pregnant or whose
wishes have been fulfilled. To the right of
the main altar is a room full of dolls, left
by women to symbolize their children in a
gesture they hope will further protect
them. (See “Shrines & Temples,” in chap-
ter 7, for more information.)

TAKE A BREAK
Just east of the tombs of the
Shogitai soldiers is To ko r i
(p. 142), serving Korean barbecue at rea-
sonable prices. For a simple snack or a
drink, Café Hibiki ( & 03/3821-9151 ),
across from the Museum of Western Art
(see no. 6 below), is a pleasant coffee
shop attached to the Tokyo Cultural Hall
(Tokyo Bunka Kaikan), with outdoor seat-
ing on fake grass. Open daily 11am to
7pm, it offers desserts and premade sand-
wiches from a glass display case.

8

Back on the main promenade, between Kiyomizu
Kannon-do Temple and the Tombs of the Shogitai
Soldiers, head north, passing the Ueno Royal
Museum and Japan Art Academy. Turn right on the
lane running between the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and
the National Museum of Western Art. Soon, on your
left, beyond an information kiosk and small square,
is the:
5 Ueno Green Salon
Free 90-minute walking tours of Ueno
depart from here every Wednesday, Friday,
and Sunday at 10:30am and 1:30pm. All
you need to do is show up.
Just before the Ueno Green Salon, to your left, is the
very good:
6 National Museum of Western
Art (Kokuritsu Seiyo Bijutsukan)
Built in 1959, with a main building
designed by French architect Le Corbusier,
the museum features works by such West-
ern artists as Renoir, Monet, Sisley, Manet,
Delacroix, Cézanne, Degas, El Greco, and
Goya; but it's probably most famous for its
50-some sculptures by Rodin.