Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
216
North of the National Museum of Western Art is the:
7
National Museum of Nature and
Science (Kokuritsu Kagaku
Hakubutsukan)
This is a great attraction if you're traveling
with children (p. 196).
The most important museum in Ueno Park, however,
is the one farthest to the north, the:
8
Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo
Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan)
Japan's largest museum and the world's
largest repository of Japanese art is the
place to see antiques from Japan's past,
including lacquerware, pottery, scrolls,
screens, ukiyo-e, samurai armor, swords,
kimono, Buddhist statues, and much
more. If you go to only one museum in
Tokyo, this should be it.
Assuming you don't spend the entire day in muse-
ums, walk straight south from the National Museum
to Ueno Park's main square, marked by an artificial
pond with a spouting, dancing fountain. At the end
of the square turn right, pass the main entrance to
the zoo, and then look for the stone
torii
on the right
that marks the entrance to:
9
Toshogu Shrine
Ueno Park's most famous religious struc-
ture—dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu,
founder of the Tokugawa shogunate—was
erected in 1651 by Ieyasu's grandson. Like
Nikko's Toshogu Shrine (see chapter 11),
it is ornately decorated with brilliant red,
blue, green, and gold ornamentation. The
pathway leading to the shrine is lined with
massive stone lanterns, plus 50 copper
lanterns donated by feudal lords from
throughout Japan. To the right of the
pathway is a five-story pagoda (located on
zoo grounds), covered entirely in lacquer
and constructed in 1639. The shrine
grounds are also famous for their peonies,
which bloom both in spring and in winter
(fee charged for peony garden).
Unfortunately, the shrine itself is under-
going renovation until 2014, so you won't
be able to go inside to see the murals by a
famous Edo artist, Kano Tan-yu, and
armor worn by Ieyasu. Note, however, the
lions decorating the arched, Chinese-style
Karamon Gate—legend has it that when
night falls, they sneak down to Shinobazu
Pond for a drink. On a lighter note, you'll
see signs asking you to refrain from mak-
ing a bonfire, in case you are contemplat-
ing a cookout on these sacred grounds.
TAKE A BREAK
Located just past Toshogu
Shrine,
Grill Fukushima
(p. 142)
opened in 1876 as one of Japan's first
restaurants serving Western food. It
remains Ueno Park's most upscale place,
serving pricey but quite good classic
French cuisine. Next door is the equally
old traditional-looking
d
Innsyoutei
(p. 142), serving Japanese set meals.
If you want to skip the zoo, beside Innsyoutei are a
row of orange
torii
(made, horrendously enough, out
of plastic) and a road leading downhill to Shinobazu
Pond (see no. 11, below), passing Gojoten Shrine
along the way. Otherwise, retrace your steps to:
0
Ueno Zoo
Opened in 1882, this is Japan's oldest zoo.
Although it seems small by today's stan-
dards (with miserably cramped quarters
for some of its animals), it draws crowds
for its Japanese macaques, polar bears,
California sea lions, penguins, gorillas,
giraffes, zebras, elephants, deer, and tigers.
The zoo's most famous resident, however,
a giant panda donated by the Chinese
government named Ling Ling, died in
2008. Be sure to see the five-story pagoda
mentioned earlier in the walk.
End your tour of the zoo by taking the monorail to:
!
Shinobazu Pond
This marshy pond was constructed in the
17th century; teahouses once lined its
banks. Now part of the pond has literally
gone to the birds: It's a bird sanctuary,
especially for cormorants. The pond is
filled with lotus plants, a lovely sight when
they bloom in August.
There are small boats for rent, and on an island in the
middle of the pond, connected to the bank with
walkways, is the:
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