Koishikawa Ukiyo-e Museum

Ueno Park in TOKYO | INTOJAPAN

If you missed the first chapter of our journey, please take a look at the beautiful Nezu Shrine here
Continuing our exploration of the historic Yanesen area, whose landmarks and inhabitants inspired some of the artwork of famous ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige. Join us as we revisit some of the spots depicted in his artwork!
Follow the path with our article “Stroll the Edo of Hiroshige’s Ukiyo-e” at INTO JAPAN by Waraku Magazine.

This time our video presents some famous cultural spots in and around Ueno Park, one of Japan’s first public parks. The country’s first art museum and zoo, and many historical points call the grounds of Ueno Park home. Let’s take a closer look at some of these landmarks introduced in the video.

1) Moon Pine - Located by the balcony of Kiyomizu Kannon-dō Temple, this impressive horticultural achievement is actually a recreation of a tree that lived in the Edo period and was portrayed by Utagawa Hiroshige. The original tree was destroyed in a typhoon, but was recreated in 2012.

2) Kiyomizu Kannon-dō Temple - This temple houses an image of Kosodate Kannon, the goddess of conception, and was originally built in 1631 as part of Kaneiji Temple. It is one of the few remaining structures surviving a battle of the Boshin War in 1868. Do you recognize the wooden balcony? This temple was based off of the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. Today it remains a popular spot for women hoping for children and offers a nice view of Ueno Park.

3) Shinobazu Pond - The pond actually comprises of three ponds, the Boat Pond where tourists can rent boats, the Lotus pond, and the Cormorant Pond named after its inhabitants and part of Ueno Park. The three ponds surround the island that hosts Bentendō Temple. The marshes of Shinobazu Pond are home to many species of birds.

4) Benten-dō Temple - Located in the central island of Shinobazu Pond, this octagonal temple serves as a shrine to the goddess of fortune, Benzaiten. Its design was inspired by Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa. During the spring when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom, the grounds of Benten-dō are filled with festival food stalls.
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INTO JAPAN Waraku Magazine

INTO JAPAN is a new style of web magazine designed to communicate the appeal of Japanese culture via attractive visuals and easy-to-read text based on articles in Waraku, a magazine that has focused on presenting the many faces of Japan since its beginning 15 years ago.

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Video edited by Nana