Tokyo/Ueno Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
If you want to get a feel for old Tokyo, Ueno (上野) in the Taito district is a good place to start.
Contents |
Get in
Ueno station was at one time the place from which steam locomotives chugged off to the snowy northeast, but now the Shinkansen just make a brief stop. The JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines stop here, as well as the Hibiya and Ginza subway lines.
The Keisei Skyliner and most Keisei limited expresses from Narita Airport terminate in Ueno, as does the JR Joban Line which runs off to Mito and Iwaki.
See
- Ueno Park (上野公園 Ueno-kōen), adjacent to the station, is home to most of the attractions in the area, including the Ueno Zoo and a concentration of Japan's best museums. In cherry blossom season, Ueno Park is Tokyo's most popular spot for outdoor hanami parties.
- Ueno Zoo (上野動物園) has over three hundred animals, including giant pandas. Open 9:30AM-4:30PM (last entry 4PM) Tue-Sun. Admission ¥600
- The gigantic Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館 Tōkyō kokuritsu hakubutsukan, [1]) houses almost 100,000 art objects covering Japanese history from the Jomon period to the 20th centruy. Some descriptions are in English. General admission ¥420, university students ¥130, high school and younger free. Open daily 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Mon. Special exhibitions charge separate admission fees. Admission includes access to the following buildings:
- Honkan is the main museum which is notable for the breadth of its displays. It displays works of artistic and historical value value, including Buddhist statues, calligraphy, tea ceremony art, swords and armor, folding screen artwork, noh and kabuki-related items, and ukio-e woodblook prints.
- Heiseikan is an archelogical museum which displays excavated items, such as pottery and burial statues from early periods. Heiseikan also houses special exhibitions.
- Toyokan exhibits art from east Asia, India and Egypt.
- The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures houses art donated by Horyuji temple (near Nara) in 1878. The modern museum building, designed in 1999 by Yoshio Taniguchi, is worth a visit for its own architectural merits.
- The National Museum of Western Art ([2]) houses an extensive collection of Western art, including the original of Rodin's famous The Thinker. Entry ¥420, open daily 9:30-17:00. Free admission on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.
- The National Science Museum (国立科学博物館) [3], recently re-opened in a new building, focuses on the living world, with life-sized representations of practically every life form the earth has ever seen, from the blue whale (outside the old building) to hundreds of exotic insects. There are also sections covering technology, the physical sciences, and hands-on exhibits for children, as well as the stuffed and mounted body of Hachiko, of Shibuya statue fame.
- Shinobazu Pond (不忍池 Shinobazu-ike), adjacent to Ueno Park, is full of water lilies and waterfowl and has the picturesque little Bentendō Hall shrine, dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten, in the middle.
- The small Shitamachi Museum (下町風俗資料館) near the southeast corner of Shinobazu Pond offers a glimpse into life in the area in the early 20th century, with re-created houses and stores, and cultural artifacts.
Buy
- Ameyoko (アメ横) is a packed shopping bazaar full of stalls selling almost anything you can imagine. It runs roughly south of Ueno station along the inside of the JR Yamanote line tracks to Okachimachi station. If you are looking for a more typically "Asian" market street in Tokyo, with bargaining expected and friendly vendors trying to out-shout each other, this is it. Definitely a good place for souvenirs for friends back home. The district got its name in the post-war years from the American blue jeans and other items that were sold on the black market.
Eat
There's plenty of cheap food to be found all around Ueno station, including a large number of food stalls near the shrine on Shinobazu Lake.
In cherry blossom season, the local favorite is grilled rice dumplings known as dango, slathered with either a sweet and salty soy-based sauce or chunky red bean paste. As the terse Japanese proverb says, Hana yori dango, or "Dumplings rather than blossoms".
Splurge
- Ueno Seiyōken (上野精養軒) [4] on the Ueno Park grounds. Opened in 1877, this was one of the first Western restaurants in Japan, serving French cuisine befitting its stature.
Drink
"Without sake, what is the meaning of cherry blossoms?", proclaims a famous haiku poem. The profound truths contained within are experimentally tested every spring, when more or less all of Ueno Park disappears under a sea of blue tarps, picnicking secretaries and sozzled salarymen.
- Tōrindō (桃林堂). Ueno-sakuragi 1-5-7, [5] (Japanese only). A little off the beaten track but just a short walk from the Tokyo National Museum, this traditional shop serves tea ceremony tea (¥450) without the ritualized fuss and delectable Japanese desserts (¥150+) to go with them. Open daily 9 AM to 5 PM.
Sleep
Ueno has a good spread of cheap hotels.
Budget
Among all the other budget accomodations available in the area, these two hotels, both 10 min walk from Minami-senju station (Hibiya line - Tokyo metro), can welcome you in english.
The typical room is an individual tatami flat of 2 square-meters, with television and air-conditioning. The bedding consist in a futon set and a pillow. Since their is many foreigners, the atmosphere is very friendly and in fact, it looks more like a Youth Hotel. Both Hotel offer a rental access to internet.
- Hotel New Koyo [6], 2-26-13 Nihonzutumi Taitou-Ku, tel. +81-3-3873-0343. Single room range from 2500 ¥ to 2700 ¥ depending on the size.
- Hotel New Azuma [7], 38-3, 2 Chome, Kiyokawa, Taito-ku, tel +81-3-6802-0716. Single room range from 2500 ¥ to 3100¥ depending on the season.
Mid-range
- Oak Hotel [8], 6-1-2, HigashiUeno, Taito-ku. Student priced single rooms start at ¥5670.
- Sawanoya Ryokan, 2-3-11 Yanaka, Taito-ku (7 min walk from Nezu station, 10min taxi from Ueno station), (03)3822 2251 (sawanoya@tctv.ne.jp, fax (03)3822 2252) [9]. Closed Dec 29 - Jan 3. Well-known ryokan, all bedrooms with tatami floors. 2 rooms with bath, the 10 others share two Japanese-style baths and showers. Good neighbourhood to simply wander and look at the houses and gardens. Free internet and LAN points in all rooms. Friendly helpful staff. Single ¥4935-5250 without bathroom, double ¥9240/9870 without/with bath, triple ¥12600/14175 without/with bath.
- Tokyo Backpackers Matsushima Hotel, 3-12-5 Ryusen, Taito-Ku, tel. +81-3-38753264, [10]. Singles from ¥6000, doubles from ¥7800.
Contact
The Tokyo Tourist Information Center, a good source of tourist information, is located in the Keisei train station outside the ticket gates. This office is geared for foreign visitors, with so all materials are in languages other than Japanese and all staff speak English. Open 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM daily.
