PRINT

Historical Spots Around Yanaka and Ueno
Shinobazu pond in Ueno Park (©JNTO)	While Tokyo changes by the day, it is not so difficult to find neighborhoods and places to visit that conjure up images of old Edo or Meiji-era Tokyo. Here we offer a walking tour that will allow you to experience Tokyo's history for yourself.

1. Yanaka Ginza

Looking at Yanaka Ginza from Nippori Street

Yanaka Ginza is a famous shopping street that allows visitors to catch a glimpse of old Japan and pick up some souvenirs as well. Additionally, during the early Edo period, a large number of temples were built in the Yanaka area and neighboring Ueno. Following an urban renewal plan after the Meireki Fire - a giant fire that destroyed much of Edo in 1657 - temples in the neighboring Kanda district were moved to this area, and temples came to dominate the townscape. With the relocation of the temples, the carpenters and other artisans who worked on them also moved in. Yanaka became an area populated by artisans and frequented by people visiting their family graves, and vestiges of this past remain today. Although Tokyo suffered severe damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and from bombing during World War II, damage to the area around Yanaka was comparatively slight.

2. Asakura Sculpture Museum

The entrance of the Asakura Sculpture Museum

Fumio Asakura (1883-1964) was a sculptor active from the Meiji era (1868-1912) into the Showa era (1926-1989), and his former studio and residence, located just a short distance from Yanaka Ginza, contain many of his works and are open to the public. The estate was constructed in a unique style combining a Japanese-style residence and Western-style studio, and a pond occupies the entire courtyard. Defying convention there is a rooftop garden worth seeing. Admission is ¥400, and the museum is closed Mondays and Fridays.

3. Yanaka Cemetery

Top: Sakura-dori (©Taito City Office)
Above: The grave of Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Just a short walk from the Asakura Sculpture Museum is the Yanaka Cemetery, which houses the grave of Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913), the fifteenth and final shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan in the Edo period. While there is no English guidance at the cemetery, it might be of interest to see what the grave of the last shogun looks like. In addition to Yoshinobu's grave, the Yanaka Cemetery also has the graves of many notable politicians, business leaders, soldiers, and scholars. The main road through the cemetery, Sakura-dori, is renowned in Tokyo for its cherry trees, and in late March and early April each year many people go to see the cherry blossoms there.

4. Kaneiji and Jomyoin

Top: Kaneiji
Above: Jomyoin

The area of Ueno, which is right next to Yanaka, is home to a number of arts and cultural facilities, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, which contributed greatly to the introduction of Western art and music in Japan. Near the university is Kaneiji, the family temple of the Tokugawa clan that ruled Japan during the Edo period. The temple was built in 1625, but many of the buildings on the grounds were destroyed by fire in 1868, as forces loyal to the new Meiji government fought the Shogitai, a force led by Tokugawa vassals and based at Kaneiji. Only a few edifices, such as the five-story pagoda, currently remain. The original main building was destroyed during the fighting in 1868, and the present main building was brought from the temple Kitain in Kawagoe during the Meiji era and dates back to the early Edo period. Near Kaneiji is Jomyoin, which is famous for its 20,000 jizo (stone sculptures of deities), a stunning sight.

5. Tokyo National Museum and Surrounding Area

The ornate front gate of a house belonging to the Ikeda daimyo family

Just a short distance from Kaneiji is the Tokyo National Museum, home to approximately 100,000 works of art and artifacts, including 91 national treasures and 616 nationally important cultural properties. This is a place worth taking time to look around. Admission is ¥420, and the museum is closed Mondays.

The building is a typical example of the Imperial Crown style of architecture. As it was rebuilt in 1937, the building is not particularly old, but the surrounding area contains a number of much older edifices, including the ornate front gate of a house belonging to the Ikeda daimyo family, which ruled the Tottori domain (now Tottori Prefecture).

Also in this area can be found the concert hall of the Tokyo Music School (currently the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music), built in 1890, and the Imperial Library, which was built in 1906 and recently reborn as the International Library of Children's Literature. Taking in the historical architecture in this neighborhood is a good way to see what Tokyo looked like 100 years ago.

6. Ueno Toshogu

Ueno Toshogu (©Taito City Office)

Toshogu is the shrine that venerates Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Toshogu shrines exist throughout Japan, and this one was built in Ueno in 1627 and then rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun, in 1651. On the approach to the shrine, there is a large stone torii gate and rows of stone and bronze lanterns. These were gifts from daimyo throughout Japan, which suggests just how powerful Ieyasu was. Visitors can look inside the main hall, called Konjikiden, which is located within the shrine grounds and is covered in gold leaf. While Ueno Toshogu is not as large or as splendid as the Toshogu shrines located in Nikko and Shizuoka, it is still a great place to get a feel for what things were like in the Edo period.

7. Ueno Park and Statue of Saigo Takamori

Statue of Saigo Takamori

In Ueno Park near Ueno Station, there is a large bronze statue of Saigo Takamori (1827-1877). Saigo was a samurai who played an important role at many stages in the tumultuous politics around the time of the Meiji Restoration of 1868. This easygoing and friendly person who was not obsessed with power is loved by the people of Japan and has often been the subject of novels, movies, and dramas. The statue was erected in 1891, and it seems as though the bronze image of Saigo is looking out on the Tokyo of today.

8. Shitamachi Museum

Entrance of the Shitamachi Museum

Located near Shinobazu Pond is the Shitamachi Museum. Shitamachi means literally "lower city" and this working-class district has long been home to great numbers of artisans and merchants. This area stands in contrast to Yamanote, which is located to the southwest of Shitamachi and has the image of being home to "cultured" people, such as government officials and scholars.

Shitamachi has long had a free and unpretentious atmosphere. With urban redevelopment in Tokyo, though, Shitamachi is gradually losing what made it unique. The Shitamachi Museum displays buildings and other objects representative of life in Shitamachi between the 1860s and 1960s. Admission is ¥300, and the museum is closed on Mondays.

9. Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall

Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958) was a master of Japanese art, and he worked on constructing this wooden home over the 50 years prior to his death. His works and mementos are displayed here. There are a great many fans of Japanese art overseas, and being able to see where it was actually created may be a rare treat. Admission is ¥500, and the hall is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

10. Old Residence of the Iwasaki Family

Former residence of the Iwasaki family

Not far from Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall is a former residence of the Iwasaki family, which headed the Mitsubishi conglomerate. This house was built in 1896 and was designed by Josiah Conder, a British architect who was active in Japan in the Meiji era. This building was the cutting edge of Western architecture at the time it was constructed, and its great hall and billiard room have been designated as nationally important cultural properties. Adimission is ¥150, and the house is closed from December 29 to January 3.

11. Yushima Shrine

Top: Yushima Tenjin
Above: Countless wooden votive tablets

A few minutes' walk from the former Iwasaki residence is Yushima Shrine, which is commonly known as Yushima Tenjin. This shrine venerates Sugawara Michizane, who was a scholar, noble, and government official in the early Heian period (794-1185). Around the Edo period, he came to be worshipped as the god of learning by scholars, writers, and ordinary people. Even today, when the season of school entrance examinations rolls around, the shrine fills with young people who come to pray that they will pass. These visitors purchase a total more than 50,000 wooden votive tablets, which they hang within the shrine grounds after writing their wish.

Taking a Break

If you feel the need for a coffee break during your historical walking tour, there are coffee shops near many of the sites, so you can ask where one is near you. Some of the sites also have shops nearby that sell Japanese sweets and green tea.

One recommendation for lunch is to try one of the restaurants that have been serving unagi (eel) since the Edo period. If you are not up to such adventure, another good idea is to eat at one of the establishments that have been offering Western food since the Meiji era. Ueno has several of both types of these restaurants.

The Ueno Ikenohata area is filled with eating and drinking establishments. For dinner, you can find a variety of restaurants specializing in Japanese, Western, Chinese, or Korean food, so visitors are best advised to just enter one they find appealing. There also are restaurants in this area famous for their Japanese soba(buckwheat noodles).