Tips

• Pandas at the zoo

• The Ameyoko market and the screams of the vendors

• Museums for a journey into culture

Culture, vitality and... screams

A few steps from the bustling railway station of Ueno is a haven of culture and relaxation.

In the large Ueno park next to the station there are several museums, a lake for small boats, a temple with pagoda and a zoo famous for its fluffy local mascots: pandas.

The park becomes the main destination in April, when the cherry blossoms.

To see the Ameyoko market, however, just follow the Yamanote line towards Okachimachi and you will find yourself in the busy shopping street where vendors shout at the top of their voices to invite you to buy clothes, spices, cosmetics or fresh fish.

Pink, crimson, black and white: a colorful park.

Ueno Park is always full of colour, thanks not only to the pink of the cherry trees that, albeit briefly, bloom in all their glory in the spring, but also the peach colour of the lotus flowers in summer and the black and white of the pandas in the zoo.

Seasonal highlights include picnics in the shade of the cherry trees and lotus blossoms to be photographed in the Shinobazu pond; And for when fatigue begins to set in, there are cafés with terraces where you can recover your energy.

Japan's oldest zoo

And it is precisely energy that is needed to visit the vast Ueno Zoo, which requires at least half a day to see it all together with its approximately 3000 animals of 300 different species, including gorillas, tigers, Asian elephants, polar bears and giraffes.

The real stars 'in black and white', however, are the giant pandas: although it will only be possible to observe them for a few minutes, they are certainly worth the long queue.

The main entrance is in just five minutes' walk from the UENO JR.

The zoo is divided into Eastern Gardens and Western Gardens. In the Oriental Gardens are the Gorilla Woods, Tiger Forest, Elephant Forest, Polar Bear and Seal Oceans and a five-storey pagoda with a tea ceremony hall called Kankan-tie.

The Panda Forest, a new breeding ground for giant pandas and other animals living in their habitat, opened in the Western Gardens in September 2020.

To complete the visit, there are also souvenir shops and restaurants.

From the dark years of the past to the vitality of today

The origins of Ameyoko date back to the post-World War II black market, when stalls sold a variety of products from sweets to military clothing.

A special atmosphere still hovers along the 500 metres of this shopping street that has grown significantly and is often crowded with people eager to buy cheap fresh fish, cosmetics, clothing and costume jewellery.

Also along the street echoing the shouts of vendors who seem to be competing to see who can shout the loudest and most enthusiastic.

Among the many small shops next to each other, military suits and items stand out, as well as the wide selection of spices in the Ameyoko Centre Building.

Don't forget to try Ameyoko's delicious street foods that pay homage to the pandas of the Ueno Zoo such as panda-yaki, panda bread and bento panda boxes.

Many museums to satisfy every cultural curiosity

Ueno is home to several world-class museums within walking distance of each other.

The National Museum of Western Art, in addition to its permanent exhibition with works by Claude Moet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso and Pollock also holds temporary exhibitions.

Another nice place to visit is the Ueno Royal Museum, which exhibits everything from the latest contemporary art created by young artists to popular manga exhibitions.

If you are interested in traditional Japanese artwork, you should instead visit the Tokyo National Museum, with 150 years of history and a vast collection of oriental and ancient artworks, as well as ukiyo-e prints, ceramics and swords.

And at the National Museum of Nature and Science you will find exhibitions exploring the history of science and technology from various angles, with a particular interest in dinosaurs.