Ueno Park Museums
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Most large museums within 5 minutes walk | Crowded at peak times |
| A pleasant day spend in an expansive park | Many Japanese only exhibits |
If you’re planning a visit to Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan, there are several museums you might want to check out. These include the Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Western Art, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Ueno Royal Museum, and Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. The entrance fees for these museums range from 500 yen for adults at the National Museum of Western Art to 1000 yen for adults at the Tokyo National Museum. If you’re interested in visiting multiple museums during your trip, you might want to consider purchasing a Gurutto Pass or Tokyo Pass, which offer discounted or free admission to some of the facilities in the area. Just be aware that the Tokyo Edo Museum is not included in the Gurutto Pass, and the Tokyo Pass is only valid on certain subway lines.
Almost all the museums are closed Mondays, which makes the park far less crowded and more pleasant for visiting the various shrines and other monuments. Ueno Zoo is also closed Mondays in the same way. When Japan recommends going to Ueno Park on Monday to enjoy the shrines and Shinobazu Pond, and then come back to the museums and zoo on another day weekday.
Monday closing for most museums
Be careful about Mondays that fall on a national holiday as the museums open that Monday and close the next day (Tuesday – when they are usually open). Check before planning your trip.
Gurutto Pass
https://www.rekibun.or.jp/en/grutto/
You can purchase a special pass online or at certain locations around Tokyo that allow for free or discounted entry to a number of museums and other facilities. Before purchasing check what facilities are supported and if the entrance will be free of just discounted. Discounted is usually only 100-300 yen per ticket and the major museums are only 100-200 yen discount. The famous and must see Tokyo Edo History Museum is not included so this limits the use of the ticket for foreign tourists who don’t want to use their precious time in Tokyo on smaller museums.
The Tokyo Pass
This pass offers free entry into a number of cultural attractions over 2-4 days for a fixed fee. This price includes a subway travel pass. The pass is valid on Toei Subtank and the Tokyo Metro, which does not include any of the overground JR lines, so be careful. The way of getting your tickets is also a bit of a pain (you have to scan a QR code and then select your ticket each time you ride the train), but the savings are high if you focus your valid 2, 3 or 5 days on locations scattered throughout Tokyo.
https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=113&lang=en
Map of Ueno Park Museums
Major Ueno Park Museums
Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum (TNM) celebrates in 150th anniversary in 2022. You can learn more about this museum at the official site. Focused on Japan culture and history, this is a unique experience where you can see some national treasures.
Entrance fees are as below. Under 18s are free. There are special exhibitions held throughout the year with separate entrance fees. Check the main website for details. The English website is very good.
| Adults | 1,000 yen |
| University Students | 500 yen |
| High/Junior High/Elementary School Students and persons under 18 and over 70 | Free |
National Museum of Western Art
For some westerners, this museum may be a bit of a busman’s holiday, however it houses a number of unique works collected from around the world. If world art peaks your interest then by all means pop in.
| Adults | 500 yen |
| College students | 250 yen |
| High school students or younger. Those over the age of 65.Those under the age of 18. Those with physical or mental disabilities, and one accompanying person per disabled visitor. | Free |
Ueno Royal Museum
This is a privately owned museum with selected exhibitions. Entrance fees and opening times depend on the exhibition at the time, so check the official home page.
As an example, the current (as of writing, Dec. 2022) exhibition is fairly expensive.
Adult – 2,100円、High School and University Students – 1,300円、Children under 16 – 900円
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
This museum is free to enter but certain exhibitions may have an entrance fee. Focusing on older, Japanese art arranged into themed collections. It is certainly worth a visit for foreign tourists (when compared to the large Museum of Western Art), especially considering the lower entrance fee compared to other museums nearby.
General ¥500 ／ Seniors 65+ ¥300
- ※Admission free for visitors College students and High school students or younger
- ※Admission free for visitors (and one accompanying person) with a Physical Disability Certificate, Intellectual Disability Certificate, Rehabilitation Certificate, Mental Disability Certificate or Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificate
- ※In each case, please show identification
- ※Admission is free on presenting a ticket for the concurrent Special Exhibition “Okamoto Taro: A Retrospective“
National Museum of Nature and Science
There is a science museum in most large metropolitan areas and the contents of this museum are as expected. A list of permanent exhibitions is here, with some special exhibitions held regularly throughout the year. The special exhibitions can be up to ¥2000 for adult entrance so check the official site. This museum is great for kids and is free for under 16s.
Booking in advance required – no at the door ticket sales
NOTE: Since 2020 (triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic) all visitors must book in advance . The booking system is here and only supports Japanese. There is a guide in English here. The next month’s booking slots don’t seem to appear in the system until that month begins, therefore you cannot book very far in advance towards the end of the month.
| Individuals | General and university students High-school students and younger | ¥630 Free |
| Group visitors (For groups of 20 or more visitors) | General and university students | ¥510 |
Shitamachi Museum
This small museum located at a corner of the Shinobazu Pond contains recreations of past Japanese life. There are a number of these scattered throughout Japan, usually with “retro” in the names. For only ¥300 entrance fee you can glimpse life in Japan from just after the war, which should be an interesting experience for anyone unfamiliar with Japan. Even for Japanese this usually ends up as a very nostalgic and/or educational experience, depending on their age.
The japanese home page can be translate to English from the Google translation function at the top-right and has much more information compared to the official English pages.
Museum closure for refurbishment April 2023 to sometime in 2024
NOTE: The museum will be closed from April 2023 for up to a year for renovation. For a similar museum (that actually is much bigger) try the Fukagawa Edo Museum. Entrance fee is ¥400 for adults and ¥50 for children under 16.
The University Art Museum
Art museum with temporary exhibitions. If there are not exhibitions then the museum is closed. Check the schedule at the official list. Most exhibitions are free. You may need to check the poster for details (such as entrance fee) as they often don’t include details in the page text itself.
Access to Ueno Park Museums
Access to Ueno Park is very simple. There is a Ueno Park Exit in Ueno Station that will take you directly to the park. You can also walk to the park from Akihabara or Asakusa (both about 30 minutes walk). The shrines are all located in the space between Ueno Zoo and the three ponds. It can get a bit disorientating due to the trees and winding pathways, but the area is not large so getting lost will be a challenge.
Planning your day around Ueno Park
Ueno Park is home to a variety of attractions. There are so many places to visit that you can easily spend an entire day just in and around Ueno Park. The following is a non-exhaustive list of attractions in Ueno Park.
Shinobazu Pond
Ueno Zoological Gardens
Ueno Shrines and Monuments
Ueno Zoo
Eating in and around the local area
When Japan recommends heading back towards Akihabara for lunch or dinner. Most of the restarants and places to eat are located in and around the Ame Yokocho, which is a bustling market street other so packed with visitors that it can be a challenge to walk at anything other than a snails pace. Check out the main page of the Ame Yokocho here for recommendations.
Locations 30 minutes walk from Ueno Park
Asakusa is a busy tourist district with notable temples and shopping strips selling traditional goods. It is a 30 minute walk. Just point yourself in the direction of the Skytree and keep walking. (directions). The walk will also take you via the Kappabashi Dougu Street, which has a number of shops selling Japanese cooking goods, including the plastic food used in shops to show off their cuisine to prospective customers
Akihabara is a popular tourist spot for anime fans and computer nerds. Don’t forget to try out a cream or sweet bean Taiyaki on the way, they are a delicious sweet treat.
There is a When Japan walk that will take you around Akihabara, Ueno and Asakusa.
