The foliage in Ueno Park
I knew today was going to be busy. Our bodies weren’t used to this sort of abuse, and I was dreading the end of today like nobody’s business. The walking was getting to us, but I think the feet were starting to become numb. Not numb as in can’t feel anything, but numb as in “yeah, it hurts, but its all good.”
Today we left bright and early for Ueno Park. We actually got out on the Yamanote before the rush hour, which was nice. Really nice. Maybe it was just the direction we were heading, I don’t know, but anyhow….
Ueno Park was a nice change. After the Imperial Gardens fiasco, it was great to go to a nice park, actually with lots of greenery, and temples, and bums, and statues, and ponds. Wait, did he just say bums? Yeah, Ueno Park is home to quite a few of them it would seem. They were harmless, though. None of the usual crap we’ve come to expect from the homeless types, the shouting, the aimless crazy rants, the trash piles. There they were, sacked out on the benches. I mention this only so it won’t be a surprise to you when you go.
Benzaiten Shrine
The entrance to the park is directly across the street from the station, which is also a bonus. A short walk in is the famous statue of Saigo Takamori and his dog. Further in, you’ll find a shrine, and down those stairs you’ll wind up in the middle of Shinobazu Pond at the very cool Benzaiten Shrine.
The pond is actually grown over with lilies and reeds, except for a section just beyond the shrine where if you’re so inclined you can rent out a boat shaped like a swan. Around the edges, the koi seem to congregate, waiting for someone to feed them. It was early enough in the day that there were few people, so we could take our time enjoying the calm and snapping photos.
Shinobazu Pond
There was a statue or shrine or whatever that seemed to be dedicated to eyeglasses. Or something. It seemed rather out of place and kind of funny. Numerous other statues and stones with kanji carved into them lined the path and the small peninsula the shrine occupied.
Along the shore of the pond, an antiques flea market was setting up. If only I’d have brought another suitcase, some of this stuff would have found its way home with me. Seriously.
Leaving Benzaiten, you will wander through the myriad of buildings, fox statues, and torii (the red gates) of the Gojo shrine, until you finally near the zoo. The Gojo shrine area was worth every painful step I’d suffer that day. If you see nothing else in Ueno, this should be it. The small shrines, the narrow passages, the buildings, the series of torii towards the end… Exactly the sort of thing I came to see.
We didn’t go to the zoo (quite frankly we’ve seen zoo animals before…), but it was just opening, and the crowds were starting to collect. By now we were near the start of the open plaza and fountain in front of the Tokyo National Museum.
It was also here that I found my first Mountain Dew in Japan. Rock! Finally a real dose of caffeine! I imbibed and absorbed the drug into my system. Now I was ready for the rest of the day! Thank you!
After resting on one of the benches here in the plaza, it was time to visit the Tokyo National Museum.
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