The bronze statue of Saigō Takamori features the samurai in a casual yukata, walking his dog. Saigō led the imperial forces during the Meiji Restoration, but later died leading a rebellion against the very government he helped create. His…
Ueno Park Temples and Culture
This walk takes you through Tokyo’s first public park, exploring how historic Tokugawa-era temples and grand modern museums coexist on the same ground. You will see both the quiet spiritual pockets that survived the Meiji Restoration and the landmark monuments of Japan's rapid modernization.
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1. Statue of Saigō, Ueno Park
2. Kiyomizu Kannon-dō Temple
The Kiyomizu Kannon-dō Temple features a distinctive, protruding wooden stage that cantilevers over the hillside of Ueno Park. Modeled after the famous temple in Kyoto, this structure was built in sixteen thirty-one to house a sacred…
3. Shinobazu no Ike Bentendō
The Shinobazu no Ike Bentendo stands on an artificial island in the center of a lotus-filled pond, recognizable by its bright vermillion octagonal roof. In the early seventeenth century, the monk Tenkai built this hall to mimic the famous…
4. Ueno Toshogu Shrine
The Ueno Toshogu Shrine features a wall of two hundred copper lanterns, each donated by a feudal lord to honor the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. While Tokyo fires and earthquakes leveled surrounding districts, this gold-leafed hall survived…
5. The National Museum of Western Art
The National Museum of Western Art is defined by a low, flat concrete roof and a layout that spirals outward from a central square hall. Architect Le Corbusier designed this main building in nineteen fifty-nine to house a collection of…
6. Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum is defined by the Honkan building, a concrete structure crowned with a steeply pitched, tile-covered roof in the traditional Japanese style. This architectural blend was the result of a nineteen thirty-seven…
7. Kan'ei-ji
The Kan-ei-ji Temple is marked by a massive, weathered wooden gate that survived the fires and explosions that erased most of the complex. It was established in sixteen twenty-five by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect Edo Castle from evil…