Tokyo - Ueno Park

Ueno Park is one of the most popular attractions in the city of Tokyo. It is criss-crossed by gravel paths. On the reed-fringed Shinobazu Pond Boats can be hired for trips around a little island with its Bentendo Temple. Hot-dog sellers advertise their wares with loudspeakers, and there are many cinemas and amusement centers in the vicinity.

It is the largest park in Tokyo (212ac; 85ha). With its zoo and aquarium it is a real park for the people, but it is also a cultural center with a number of museums, many temples, shrines and pagodas and some important public buildings. Once part of a Daimyo's residence, the park came into the possession of the Tokugawa in the early 17th C. In 1924 it was handed over to public ownership.

In 1868 Kannei-ji, which had been built by the Tokugawa as a domestic temple, was the last stronghold of the troops remaining loyal to the Shogun. In the course of the fighting everything was destroyed except for a five-story pagoda.