Ueno Park Shrines
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| A variety of shrines and monuments | No downsides unless you dislike shrines |
| A pleasant walk around an expansive park | Can get busy during peak seasons |
Locals will often go to Ueno Park for the zoo, or view the cherry blossoms (and have a picnic) in spring or to photograph the lotus flowers during the summer months. The park itself is quite large and if you wander off the main paths you can discover a number of secluded shrines, statues and other monuments hidden away amoungst the trees.
Ueno Toshogu Shrine
Location: At the end of a long pathway (this link is for the Japanese place in Google Maps. The English placemarker doesn’t give very good directions). An active shrine where good luck messages can be left for a price, there is an area to the left of the main shrine building that can be accessed for a small fee. Inside are more gardens and shrine buildings. Admissions charges are here. When Japan does not recommend paying unless you are a historical building enthusiast.
Five Storied Pagoda
Location: Along the long pathway to Toshogu Shrine. ]
While you can’t get close to this impressive pagoda, it does provide a nice photo opportunity.
Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden
Location: Along the long pathway to the Toshogu Shrine
For those that don’t know, here is what a Peony flower is. The Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden is a walled garden that houses the Peony flowers that bloom twice a year. If you are a fan of flowers then it may be worth the entrance fee, which is fairly expensive. There are three periods of special entry, each with different fees. The English website does not list the fees so they are listed below as of Nov. 2022.
There is a combined ticket for the shrine and garden for ¥1,100.
| Season | Opening Hours | Entrance Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (no events) | Winter (Oct. ～ Feb.) 9AM ～ 4:30PM Summer ( Mar. ～ Sept. ) 9AM ～ 5:30PM | ¥700 (groups ¥600) Elementary child: Free |
| Spring (Beg. April – Beg. May) | 9AM to 5PM | ¥1000 (groups ¥900) Elementary child: Free |
| Fall (End. Sept. – End. Oct) | 9AM to 4:30PM | ¥800 Elementary child: Free |
| Winter (New Year to End. Feb.) | 9AM to 4:30PM | ¥1000 (groups ¥900) Elementary child: Free |
As the entire garden is dedicated to Peony flowers, going when the flowers are not in bloom seems a waste of time. So it is best to enter during the special event periods.
Ueno Daibutsu
Location: Here
Gojoten-jinja Shrine
Location: Here. Access from the main Ueno Park road down a torii lined pathway.
There are many small shrines located close to each other. After walking down the narrow torii lines path, you can walk around the shrines and then exit via the large torii. The ponds are a short walk away.
Access to Ueno Park Shrines
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
Tokyo National Mueseum (link)
National Museum of Nature and Science
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
National Museum of Western Art
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.
