Ueno Park which was opened in 1873, is one of Tokyo’s most visited public attractions. The park which is located just off of the Ueno Station, boasts a huge variety of museums, monuments, and temples. My wife and I had entered through the southern entrance where the famous statue of Saigo Takamori (a samurai) stands. We had only planned for a half day visit there, but it definitely was not enough time to see very much. Had we wanted to see everything the park had to offer, it would have taken us at least a couple days to cover. Depending on your interests, it would be best to plan to spend an entire day there.

Although the park was quite beautiful, it was inhabited by quite a large population of homeless folk. They didn’t harass us for money or anything like that, but it definitely was an eyesore to see them just laying around all the park benches and monuments. Although they probably don’t live there by choice, its definitely something the government should clean up. The park did not have many benches as it was, so it was a bummer when my wife could not find anywhere to sit to enjoy the scenery and soak in all the park had to offer.

After taking a few photos in front of Saigo Takamori, we made our way toward the Ueno Zoo. I have this fascination about animals, and no matter how many zoos I have visited, one more is always a welcome addition. On the way however, we caught ourselves stopping at many of the wonderful sideshow attractions. There were actually some really amazing performances, and one performance in particular which caught my attention involved and old man on a bicycle playing with a ton of homemade instruments.

When we finally arrived at the zoo itself, it was nearly noon time and our bellies were empty. Fortunately, there were a ton of vendors available to us at the zoo entrance to choose from. I bought a couple large “Chinese Shrimp Dumplings” which were just amazing and we washed that down with some delicious green tea. To finish off lunch, we wanted some soft serve ice cream, and I must admit that the caramel soft serve they had at the park, was one of the best I have ever tasted.

Much to my disappointment, when we arrived to pay for our tickets, I discovered that the Ueno Zoo no longer had any Panda bears. Apparently, the last one died in 2008. Although I was a bit disappointed, I knew it was partially my fault because I didn’t do enough research. Despite the setback, we paid for our entrance fee (600 yen) and preceded to the rest of the attractions. The park had quite a few animals and the “Gorilla Wood” and “Tiger Forest” were pretty cool. The Silverback gorrilla was enormous and I actually got up close and personal when he sat up against the glass with his back facing me. His arms were larger than my legs and he just looked like an animal that demanded respect. It was fascinating. We also witnessed a newborn Hippo being nursed which was pretty cool and a Black Rhino which looked pissed the entire time I stood there. The bars protecting me from him were at least a foot thick all around.

Despite all the great animals in the park, I felt really bad for some of them after looking at their living spaces. Many of them could hardly move around in their enclosures, and many of the large cats paced aimlessly for hours at a time. The Rhino we had saw definitely looked pissed and rightfully so. He could barely turn his body around to face the other direction. It definitely didn’t look like a very comfortable existence. Although I appreciate zoos and the opportunity to look up and close at wild animals, you cant help but feel bad for them when you realize that they spend their entire lives locked up in cages unable to really run free.

Overall, my experience at Ueno Park was a good one. If you lack the time to visit all of Tokyo, this is definitely a great place to start. With temples, museums, a zoo, and so many side shows, it provides and opportunity to experience many of the wonders of Japan all in one spot. I highly recommended it for the first time visitor.

Ueno Park Zoo Information:

Hours and Days Open

Ueno Zoo opens 9:30am. to 5:00pm (tickets sold until 4:00pm) and closes every Monday (closes Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).

*The Vivarium and the Small Mammal House close the door at 4:15pm.
*The zoo closes from December 29 through January 1.

Admission

Adults (16-64) 600 yen
Seniors (65+) 300 yen
Students (13-15) 200 yen
Children (0-12) Free