Ueno Park is one of the largest public park of Japan. It used to be the site of the Kaneiji Temple, built by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect Edo Castle from attacks by the Northeast. The temple was destroyed during the Boshin War.

Ueno Park was granted permission to be built on imperial land by Emperor Taisho in 1924. Its official name is Ueno-onshi Koen, meaning "Ueno Park, Emperor's Gift". The famous statue of Saigo Takamori walking with his dog in the park is a symbolic point of the park.

Ueno Park was established in 1876 to showcase new crafts and products to promote Japan's modern advancement, and it also paved the way for Western art to enter into Japan later.  So much so that the first escalator was installed here, right by the pond, showing the importance of the Ueno area to Japanese craft culture.

Ueno Park is one of Tokyo's major tourist attractions and a hub for Japanese art and culture. There is a walkway connecting to many atttractive places as follows:-

• Tokyo National Museum
• National Museum of Nature and Science
• National Museum of Western Art
• Tokyo Art Museum
• Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall
• Shinobazu Temple and Pond
• Ueno Zoo

Nowadays, it has become one of the oldest and largest parks in Japan. It is a popular place for cherry blossom viewing, with many people flocking to the park. During the cherry blossom season, the park is packed with people. Most people like to sit on mats and eat, and take a walk to see the flowers in bloom, as there are over a thousand cherry trees lining both sides of the road.

How to get there:
The most convenient train stations to Ueno Park are JR Ueno Station and Keisei Keisei Ueno Station.

JR Ueno Station
Take the Park Exit or Shinobazu Exit and cross the street to Ueno Park.

Keisei Ueno Station
Take the Main Exit and turn left when you come out onto the street. You will see stairs leading up to the park.

Admission Fee: None