Enjoy the Ueno Park’s unique and mysterious spots

Ueno Park is full of greenery and a famous cherry-blossom spot in Tokyo. Its season is coming soon. They usually flower toward the end of March. However, The Park has many other unique and mysterious spots.

The statue of Takamori Saigo is, perhaps, one of the most famous statues in Japan but it is mysteriously wearing a casual outfit. Saigo was an outstanding samurai in the late 19^th century. He became a hero as a general in the civil war against the Edo government forces and greatly contributed to the Meiji Restoration. However, he revolted against the Meiji government in the following civil war. Most statues of the influential figures in history are depicted wearing formal or military clothing. The statue is quite unique because it is wearing casual clothes for hunting. The casual clothing on the statue is actually helping common people gain sympathy and make them feel a connection to Saigo.

The Buddha statue of Ueno is extraordinary. The statue has only the face without the body. A six-meter Buddha statue was built on the little hill about 400 years ago. It was toppled by the earthquakes and a fire, and the bronze body was donated to the government for war efforts to produce weapons during WWⅡ. The Buddha face was left. The red lips of the statue have remained vivid since the Edo period. Because the Buddha face has survived various disasters and escaped destruction, it is popular among the students who want to pass entrance exams as a symbol of good luck and strength.

An island is floating in the Shinobazu Pond. You can see a pretty temple on the island. It’s the Bentendo Temple which is dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of art, wisdom and wealth. In the early Edo period when the temple was built about 400 years ago there was no bridge and visitors had to go there by boat.

The Bentendo Temple can be seen through the circle made of a pine tree from the balcony of the Kiyomizu Kannon Temple. It’s called ‘Pine of the Moon’. The circular shape was artificially made like a bonsai. It is modelled after the Ukiyo-e wood-block print painted by the famous artist, Hiroshige Utagawa in the Edo period. How could a peace of a pine tree be rolled into a ball like the full moon? it’s a mystery. The Moon pine is photogenic.

The next tour at Ueno Park is scheduled on March 5 at 1:30pm. Join us in finding the unique and exciting spots there. The meeting point is in front of the JR Ueno Station Park Exit. It can be accessed from other train stations as well. Visit our website for booking. We can make your tour more pleasant than on your own and are looking forward to seeing you then.

(Yoshi)