Origin of Ueno goes back to the early Tokugawa shogunate. Ueno had been less populated area than other areas in Edo (Tokyo). In 1625, the Kan-ei-ji temple was built on the hill in this area, in order to enshrine Shoguns. In addition, Kan-ei-ji was believed to protect the Edo castle from demons and devils because people believed that those demons come from northeast. The temple had an important role as a protector of Edo, and therefore became a popular temple to visit. People opened their business around Kan-ei-ji for those prayers.

In 1868, Kan-ei-ji was burned down after the war between imperial and shogun armies. With a few remaining of the temple, the site was converted to a huge park. In Ueno Park, the government built museums and art galleries as well as a zoo. In 1883, Ueno station opened, and took an important role as the terminal of all trains from the north. Ueno, however, lost the role when shinkansen (bullet train) runs directly to Tokyo terminal. Yet, the station is still called “the entrance to the north”, and Ueno has been developed commercially.



There are a lot of cultural and natural artifacts in this park. Every spring, people from nearby cities visit the park and hold parties under the trees of cherry blossoms. You can see lots of drunk “salarymen” (office workers) yelling and dancing. In the meantime, there is Shinobazu-no-ike pond which can be filled with lotus in summertime. Furthermore, near the exit of the park, there is a infamous statue of Takamori Saigo who helped Meiji Restoration but eventually fought against the government. Goju-no-tou (five-storey tower) of the original Kan-ei-ji is now located inside Ueno Zoo.