Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BEST OF UENO AND AROUND
Tokyo University Mingle with Japan's future leaders (see p.64)
Shinobazu Pond Take a stroll along the causeway (see below)
Jūsan-ya Pick up some wonderful wooden combs (see p.189)
National Science Museum See Japan's hero mutt, Hachikō, in stuffed form (see p.62)
Sasa-no-yuki Purr over some of Tokyo's best tofu (see p.149)
Ueno Zoo Visit at feeding times to see the animals at their liveliest (see p.62)
Hantei Sample superb kushiage (see p.149)
North of the university campus are Nezu and Yanaka , two of Tokyo's most
charmingly old-fashioned neighbourhoods and a world away from the usual
hustle and bustle of the city. Along with Sendagi they form an area referred to as
Yanasen , where you can experience a slower and more relaxed side of Tokyo. One
draw is the historic and tranquil shrine of Nezu-jinja , but the whole area is strewn
with small temples, craft shops and other attractions, such as the picturesque and
historic Yanaka Cemetery and the old-style shopping street of Yanaka Ginza . here
are also a couple of good traditional Japanese-style hotels around here (see p.137)
for those who really want to soak up the atmosphere of Shitamachi (literally “low
town”), the area's former incarnation.
Ueno Kōen
্໺ެԂ • Various entrances; information desk by east gate • Daily 9am-5pm • Ueno Station; use “Park Exit” for east gate and
“Shinobazu Exit” for south gate
Although it's far from being the city's most attractive park, Ueno Kōen is where all
Tokyo seems to flock during spring's cherry blossom season. Outside this brief period,
however, the park only gets busy at weekends, and during the week it can be a pleasant
place for a stroll, particularly around Shinobazu Pond. The sights listed below follow
a rough route from the south of the park.
4
Shitamachi Museum
Լொ෩ଏࢿྉؗ , Shitamachi fūzoku shiryōkan • 2-1 Ueno Kōen, Taitō-ku • Tues-Sun 9.30am-4.30pm • ¥300 • T 03 3823 7451,
W www.taitocity.net/taito/shitamachi • Ueno or Ueno-Hirokōji stations
At the far southern end of the park, the interesting Shitamachi Museum is set in a
distinctive, partly traditional-style building beside Shinobazu Pond. The museum
opened in 1980 to preserve something of the working-class Shitamachi of old, while
it was still within living memory. The ground floor is made up of a reconstructed
merchant's shop-house and a 1920s tenement row, complete with sweet shop and
coppersmith's workroom. The upper floor is devoted to rotating exhibitions focusing
on articles of daily life - old photos, toys, advertisements and artisans' tools, with all
exhibits donated by local residents. There's plenty of information in English and it's
possible to handle most items, but be sure to take off your shoes before exploring the
shop interiors.
Shinobazu Pond
ෆ೜஑ , Shinobazu no ike
Much of the park's southwest is taken up by Shinobazu Pond , whose western
banks are lined with ancient cherry trees. Once an inlet of Tokyo Bay, the pond
is now a wildlife protection area and hosts a permanent colony of wild black
cormorants as well as temporary populations of migrating waterfowl. A causeway
leads out across its reeds and lotus beds to a small, leafy island occupied by an
octagonal-roofed temple, Benten-dō , dedicated to the goddess of good fortune,
water and music (among other things). Inside the dimly lit worship hall you can
 
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