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On
a three-day visit to Tokyo, Ueno Koen (Kouen) is one of the places you
might consider visiting (not on a Monday, though), if only because it
is not that far from the Akihabara shopping district.
Should you
decide to walk down the road to check out the newest in the electronic
world, the chances are that you'll never make it.
There
is so much "stuff" on the way. Another advantage of Ueno is that after
you are done with it (we are talking about superpersons here), you can
hop on the Ginza subway line and go to Shinbashi where you change to Yurikamome
Monorail and go to O-Daiba, or head the other way to good, old Asakusa
with its temples and shrines, and a kind of real Japan. There
are several ways of getting to Ueno, a convenient one being the Keihin-Tohoku
Line (the blue train).If
you get in the front cars coming from Tokyo then the Koen Exit, the one
you are looking for, is right there.
The first building you notice is the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo Festival
Hall) where the Kirov and the likes, perform. In the area behind is Ueno
no Mori Bijutsukan and University Museum of the Tokyo National University
of Fine Arts and Music (Gei-Dai).
On the right
side of the TBK is the National Museum of Western Art with its garden
and famous Rodins. Carrying on you see the entrance to the Ueno Zoo, the
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art is hidden behind the trees (it is a red-brick
building) and The National Science Museum is on the right. |
| The Tokyo National Museum is majestically standing behind a water
fountain overlooking the park. There is a large number of homeless
people in this park making their homes under blue plastic tents. You
can also look for the Shinobazunoike Pond and The Shitamachi Museum
nearby. The Ueno Toshogu Shrine has impressive lanterns in the grounds
and a five-storied Pagoda dating back to 1631. If you walk through
the Toshogu Shrine's torii gate, turn right and go up the stairs,
you'll find a bronze relief of Buddha's head placed in the ground.
Worth a look! Also, while in the area, especially the tourists, should
pay a visit to Ameyayokocho shopping alley where there is about everything
and CHEAP. For example, T-shirts, with a Japanese motif, retail at
600 yen. There is a 100 Yen Shop near Okachimachi Sta. (Toei-Oedo
Line) at which everything is 100 yen, well, actually 105 yen. |
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The Ueno
Royal Museum (Ueno no Mori Bijutsukan) 10am-5pm (enter
by 4:30pm), daily. Entrance fee varies depending on exhibit. Tel:
(03) 3833-4191. (URL: http://www.ueno-mori.org)
The National
Science Museum (Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan) Permanent
exhibition. 9am-4:30pm (enter by 4pm). Closed Mon. 420 yen for adults,
children get in FREE. English-language pamphlets are available.
Tel: (03) 3822-0111. Hello Dial (03) 3272-8600. (URL: http://www.kahaku.go.jp)
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The
National Museum of Western Art (Kokuritsu Seiyo Bijutsukan)
9:30am-5pm (enter by 4:30pm); Fri. until 8pm (enter by 7:30pm). Closed
Mon. Regular entrance fees are 420 yen for adults, 130 yen for students,
and those over 65 and under 15 get in FREE. Museum (03) 3828-5131.
Hello Dial (03) 5777-8600. (URL: http://www.nmwa.go.jp)
(URL: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/event)
Tokyo National
Museum (TNM) (Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) It is a large
museum with permanent exhibits of Japanese and Western art. 9:30am-5pm
(enter by 4:30pm); until 8pm on Fridays from April 1 to September
30 (enter by 7:30pm). Closed Mon. Regular entrance fees are 420
yen for adults, 130 yen for university and high school students,
junior high school and younger get in FREE. Museum (03) 3822-1111.
Hello Dial (03) 3272-8600. (URL: http://www.tnm.jp)
Tokyo Metropolitan
Art Museum (Tokyo-to Bijutsukan) 9am-5pm (enter by 4:30pm).
Closed Mon. Entrance fee varies depending on exhibit. TMAM (03)
3823-6921. Hello Dial (03) 3272-8600. (URL: http://www.tobikanjp/)
The University
Art Museum (University Museum of the Tokyo National University
of Fine Arts and Music/Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku, Daigaku Bijutsukan)
10am-5pm (enter by 4:30pm). Closed Mon. General admission: 300 yen
for adults, 100 yen for students. Museum (03) 5685-7755. Hello Dial
(03) 3272-8600. (URL: http://www.geidai.ac.jp/museum)
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The Shitamachi
Museum (Taito Kuritsu Shitamachi Kyodo-kan) The permanent
exhibition on the first floor is a reconstruction of a corner of shitamachi
in the 1920s. The second floor displays many items used in daily life
in shitamachi such as instruments, toys, scenery, and others. Worth
a visit! Actually, one of the signs pointing to it says "The Museum
of Down Town Customs." 9:30am-4:30pm (enter by 4pm). Closed Mon. Adults
300 yen, students & children 100 yen. Ueno Sta., near Shinobazunoike
Pond in Ueno Koen Park. English-language pamphlets are available.
Tel: (03) 3823-7451/(03) 3823-7461.
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Ueno Zoo
(Ueno Dobutsu-en) It is the oldest (opened in 1882) and the only zoo
in Japan with giant pandas that went back to China on "holidays" until
March 31. The zoo celebrates its 120th anniversary. 9:30am-4:30pm. Closed
Mon. Ueno Sta., Koen Exit. English-language pamphlets are available. General
entrance fees are 600 yen for adults: 200 yen for junior high school students;
those over 65, under junior high school age and people with handicaps
get in FREE. Tel: (03) 3828-5171.
(URL: http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/zoo/ueno)
(URL: http://www.tokyo-zoo.net)
in Japanese.
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AROUND
UENO Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
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Tel:
(03) 3828-2111 |
(URL:
http://www.t-bunka.jp)
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Ueno
Matsuzakaya Depart Store
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Tel:
(03) 3832-1111 |
(URL:
http://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/ueno) |
| Ueno
Tourism Association (Ueno Kankou Renmei) |
Tel:
(03) 3833-0030 |
(URL:
http://www.ueno.or.jp)
in Japanese |
International
Children's Library
(Kokusai Kodomo Toshokan ) |
Tel:
(03) 3827-2053 |
(URL:
http://www.kodomo.go.jp)
in Japanese |
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National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo
(Tokyo Bunkazai Kenkyujo: Kuroda Kinenkan) |
Tel:
(03) 3823-4829 |
(URL:
http://www.tobunken.go.jp)
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The
Japan Academy
(Nippon Gakushi-in) |
Tel:
(03) 3822-2101 |
(URL:
http://www.japan-acad.go.jp) |
Tokyo
Geijutsu Daigaku Sogakudo
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Tel:
(03) 5685-7507 |
URL:
http://www.geidai.ac.jp) |
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Tokyo
Municipal Former Iwasaki Residence Gardens
(Tokyo Toritsu Kyu-Iwasakitei Teien) |
Tel:
Teien-kakari (03) 3539-2017 / (03) 3823-8033 (fax) |
9am-5pm
(enter by 4:30pm). 150 yen. |
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Yushima
Sta. (Chiyoda Line), walk 3 min. Nihon Geijutsu-in |
Tel:
(03) 3821-7191 |
(URL:
http://www.geijutuin.go.jp/)
in Japanese |
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Kyu-Tokyo Ongaku Gakko Sogakudo |
Tel:
(03) 3824-1988 |
(URL:
http://www.fukasawa.co.jp/usou.html)
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Kan'eiji
Temple
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Tel:
Kikaku-ka, Taito Kuyakusho City Hall (03) 5246-1012 |
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