Taito city Course (Ueno)

The founder of the Mitsubishi Group, Yataro Iwasaki (1834-85), purchased the estate of about 46,200 m2 and mansion from former Maidzuru Clan governor, the Makino Family. He moved from Yushima Umezono-cho to this place in 1882. Yataro's son, Hisaya Iwasaki (1865-1955), constructed his private residence here after his father's death. The residence was mainly composed of western-style houses and Japanese-style houses. The existing western-style house and billiards house were designed by Josiah Conder (1852-1920) and completed in 1896. The western-style house is a two-story wooden building with a basement and slate-shingle roof. It is based on Jacobean style - a style seen in England at the beginning of the 17th century. The front of this building has a unique design: heights of eaves and windows on both sides of the tower on the gate are not the same, and those windows are decorated in a variety of ways. On the contrary, the back of the building facing the lawn garden has a simple design with two verandas. The billiards house adjoining the western-style house is a one-story wooden building with a basement and slate-shingle roof. It is also a unique western-style structure and looks like a cottage. The main hall is in a Japanese-style house connected to the back of the western-style house. It has a hipped pantile roof. The Japanese-style house remaining today is only a part of large mansion of the old days. The structures and gardens are very important historic sites that excite our imagination over the old lives of zaibatsu (Japanese industrial conglomerate) family.

Kan'ei-ji was constructed in 1625 by the request of a priest called Tenkai Sojo. It is said that its premises were designed based on those of Hieizan Enryaku-ji and other famous temples in Kyoto. Kiyomizu Kannon-do is a copy of Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto. Built in 1631, this is the oldest temple among the existing temple compounds of Kan'ei-ji. Originally it was built on Mt. Suribachi, which is the highest place in Ueno-Shinobugaoka, located 100 m north to the current site, probably because this temple is imitating Kiyomizu-dera standing on Mt. Higashi above the Kyoto city. Kiyomizu-Kannon-do is 11.7 m wide and 9 m deep, having a hip-and-gable roof and red lacquered wall, and tile roofing. Especially the balcony looking down Sinobazu Pond makes this temple one of the most famous sites in Ueno as well as an excellent scenic spot depicted in Ukiyoe prints since Edo period. After dismantling repair from 1990 - 1996, the appearance has totally renewed. Originally it was believed that this temple was relocated in 1696, however it was found out to be actually 1694 according to the ridge tag found in the restoration work.

Japanese giant salamander

Lidth's jay

©Tokyo Zoological Park Society

Ueno Zoological Gardens is the oldest zoo in Japan. Founded in 1882, it has grown over the years, expanded its area to 14.3 ha (35.2 acres) and been the flagship of the Japanese zoo world. Now it's home to over 3000 animals from 500 different species and provides visitors with learning experience about the diversity of animals as well as fun and enjoyment.

Ueno Zoological Gardens has 7 species of Natural Monuments and 4 Special Natural Monuments.

Natural Monument : steller's sea eagle , white-tailed eagle , Japanese dormouse , Lidth's jay , Japanese wood pigeon and so on

Special Natural Monument : oriental white stork , red-crowned crane , Japanese giant salamander , Japanese Serow

©Tokyo Zoological Park Society

The former Kan'ei-ji Temple was located at the right hand side of the approach to Tosho-gu Shrine. It is currently located inside Ueno Zoo. This 5-story pagoda was constructed as one of the temples for Tosho-gu Shrine by request of Toshikatsu Doi in 1631. However it was burned down by fire in 1639. According to a record called "Sorin Roban Mei", Toshikatsu Doi requested the reconstruction of the temple, and it was restored by Munehiro Koda, and Munehisa Koda, the master builders of the government. They are father and son builders who also constructed Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine. In Meiji period, this temple became a property of Kanei-ji Temple, and then donated to Tokyo Metropolitan government in 1958. The structural style is 3-bay 5-story pagoda, Tile roofing for the first to fourth floor, Copper sheeting for the fifth floor. The main pillar is placed on a foundation stone instead of being suspended. The whole pagoda was coated by Ni-urushi (red lacquer), the inside of the pagoda was coated by regular lacquer and the floor, ceiling and altar were coated by black lacquer. The wall and four pillars were coated by red lacquer. The main pillar was beautifully coated by lacquer and gold. The whole pagoda is thin and tall, and each layer is constructed based on the same dimensions and styles, which is typical case of pagoda construction in Edo period. Also, on the first floor there used to be valuable statues of Four Direction Four Buddha: Shaka-Nyorai (east), Yakushi-Nyorai (south), Amida-Nyorai (west) and Miroku-butsu (north), which are now consigned to Tokyo National Museum.

Sogakudo (Music Hall) was built in May, 1890 as a lecture and concert hall for Tokyo Music School (now the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts). It was designed by Hanroku Yamaguchi and Masamichi Kuru, who were engineers of Ministry of Education, and its acoustic design was done by Rokushiro Uehara. Structure of the building is 2-story wooden house,tile roofing, consists of Central building and both wings. Sogakudo is located on second floor of Central building. In order to maximize acoustic and sound insulation effect, this hall was elaborated; made hog-backed central ceiling and put bundles of straw under the floor and inside the wall. Therefore its acoustic effect has a great reputation. Due to aging issue for this historical concert hall, relocation plan to Meiji-mura (in Aichi prefecture) came up in 1972. But thanks to the many people's hard work to keep the valuable site for music history in Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods in Ueno, the building was relocated to the current place to be preserved in the woods in Ueno as it was.

Toeizan Kan'ei-ji (Kan'ei-ji Temple) founded by a Buddhism priest Tenkai in 1625 was temple compound in Ueno Park area. In the main temple, which is located on the place of the present Tokyo National Museum, a child of imperial family lived as the Lord of the temple (Rinnojinomiya) for generations. The front gate built in 1624 - 1643 is Kirizuma-zukuri (gable roofing) and Hongawarabuki (tile roofing), 5.4 m of front facade with double doors in the center and small doors both sides. The style of this gate is called Yakui-mon (Yakui Gate); the main posts are positioned in front of the central line of the gate. Struts are placed at the center of the beams connecting main posts and secondary posts and a gable roof is placed on them. In 1868, Shogi-tai (an elite corps of the Shogunate)   barricaded themselves into Kanei-ji Temple and were defeated by the army to overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate. While many of temple buildings were burned down in this battle, this gate escaped war damage. There are scarred by the bullet holes in this battle. Because of its majestic and black appearance, this gate is often mistaken for Black Gate (now transferred to Entsu-ji Temple in Minamisenju, Arakawa), which is said Shogi-tai and its enemy fought across. This gate was used as a front gate of Imperial Museum (now Tokyo National Museum) opened in 1878. After Kanto Great Earthquake, it was moved to the current location when the main hall of museum was constructed.