Hi guys! Welcome to my post about fun things to do in Ueno! So, it’s been a while. I have been travelling in this time and with limited internet access. However I’m now back home and ready to create a bunch of content around my travels. So if you’re interested in all my tips and tricks for travelling Japan, or my experience living in a Fjijan village for a month then you’re in the right place!
You can sign up to my mailing list by clicking here if you’d like notifications when my new posts are up, as well as a chatty monthly newsletter. So, without further ado… onto 6 fun things to do in Ueno!
1. Ueno Park’s Temples
If you’d like to experience some of the many temples and shrines that Japan has to offer, then Ueno park is a great place to start. There are 3 notable shrines. Shinobazunoike Bentendo Temple which is on an island in the middle of the park. Kiyomizu Kannon-dō which is another Buddhist temple nearby and then finally, Ueno Toshogu Shrine which is a Shinto Shrine.
Watch this space for a guide on how to visit both Buddhist and Shinto shrines!
2. Ueno Zoo
Now this one is a bit tricky. Some of the animals were seemingly treat very well. However others (such as the polar bear) didn’t seem to be amazingly happy, especially since it was about 36°C. On the day I went, about 10 animal enclosures were shut and the animals were being kept inside for their health due to the hot weather so it appears that are looking after the animals accordingly.
There were some educational displays and my lack of Japanese probably meant that there was more information available than I could access. It’s about £4.60 to enter the zoo as an adult and £1.50 for children and you can spend a few hours there. The main attraction is the family of Pandas, which is of course very cute to see. I think that you can make your own mind up about the ethics behind the Zoo, however I wouldn’t discount it straight away.
3. Tokyo National Museum
This was the best museum! I went on my first full day in Japan and I though it was really helpful in giving a foundation of knowledge on Japanese history, art and culture which further enhanced my trip. I would wholly recommend the Nat’l museum to anyone wanting to learn more about Japan.
4. Tokyo Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum and The National Museum of Nature and Science
These are all places right next to the Tokyo National Museum that I didn’t have time to visit, but were on my list. Hopefully you have more time than me and can explore these galleries and museums!
5. Ameya Yokocho
This is a crazy shopping street near the station where you can find everything! It’s also close by to a lot of restaurants which is convenient for lunch or dinner.
6. Ueno Station
For more department-like shopping, the station surprisingly delivers. There are several stores within the complex, as well as a Starbucks and other coffee shops for if you need a break. For a more solid meal, there are some restaurants including the Hard Rock Cafe if you’re wanting some more western cuisine.
I hope you enjoyed this little guide to Tokyo’s Ueno district. Let me know if you have any recommendations yourself or if you’ve visited any of these places!
Bye for now x
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Great post, helpful list of places to go in the area 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
Thanks 🙂
Oooh! I have been wanting to go to Japan for the longest. I love all of these views! I need to book a trip to Tokyo one of these days. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
Japan is the best, I hope you manage to visit soon!
Lovely guide! Japan has always fascinated me and I would love to visit some day soon. I think Zoo will be on my list of places to visit there, because I just love pandas. Was so happy when I saw them in Taipei Zoo last year.
I agree, the pandas are the cutest!
These are some great recommendations! I love going to zoos and museums when I go away, so they’d be top of my list.
Thanks Kim! Thankfully there were plenty of those in Japan as I love them too!
That’s good to know! I’m hoping to take my dad to Japan in a couple of years, Tokyo specially.
I have some more content coming up based around Tokyo & Japan so hopefully that can help inspire you!
Ooo great! I’ll keep an eye out. 😊
*specifically
I’ve never been to Japan but ueno sounds amazing! There seems to be so much to do there. Thanks for sharing!
No problem! Japan is great, I hope you can visit at some point!
I’d love to visit Japan – it’s high on my bucket list! I love the sound of all the museums especially! x
I hope you get there soon! It’s fab
Japan is on my travel bucket list and I would not what itinerary to have. You’ve got some great recommendations for Ueno (i love zoos and musems). And it’s great to have a better idea of where I could go!
Thanks! I have a bunch more Japan content coming out soon so hopefully you can gain some inspo. I hope you make it to Japan soon!
Looks like some great options! I’m a HUGE fan of museums and galleries, so you definitely caught my attention
I love a museum and/or gallery too! I have a whole post coming about which ones were my favourite in Japan, so hopefully you’ll like that one too!
These are some amazing recommendations the zoo especially sounds great! The temple sounds amazing too, I’d love to visit more temples around the globe x
Kayleigh Zara 🌟 http://www.kayleighzaraa.com
Thank you! I loved the temples in Japan so I would definitely want to explore other styles around Asia too!
Thanks for sharing your recommendations on what to do in Ueno! I’ve always wanted to visit Japan and I hope to within the next few years so any suggestions are so helpful. I love museums and more cultural locations like shrines and places of worship so I’d love to see Ueno park and the Tokyo national museum in person one day. Thanks for sharing! x
Thank you! I hope you get to Japan soon, I have lots of content coming so hopefully they’ll be helpful too! xx