Ueno Park - The Light of the Lost

The spacious Ueno Park was established on the grounds of Kan'ei-jiin Temple after the Battle of Ueno, in 1873. Amongst Japan’s first public parks, Ueno now showcases a number of museums and several historically significant monuments which weren’t otherwise destroyed during times of war. In 1924, Ueno Park was presented to the city by Emperor Taishō, receiving the official name that lasts to this day (Ueno Onshi Kōen), the Ueno Imperial Gift Park.

Ueno Park can be roughly divided into 4 sections, Museums are in the North and West, Shrines and temples in the Centre, Ueno Zoo in the East and Shinobazu Pond in the South. With museums, temples, shrines, natural attractions, important institutions and several of Japan's top schools, Ueno’s 300 acres is not just a park but a significant and important cultural hub in the centre of Tokyo.

One of Japan's five oldest public parks, Ueno Park is home to around 8,800 trees, offering lush greenery in the heart of Tokyo. At its center lies Shinobazu Pond, a 16-hectare lake filled with lotus beds and marshlands, serving as a vital wintering ground for numerous bird species. In spring, the park becomes a celebrated destination for cherry blossom viewing and in Autumn for its gorgeous coloured maples, drawing over ten million visitors annually.

During the Edo period (1603–1868), Japan experienced an era of relative peace but rigid social order under the Tokugawa shogunate. The country was largely closed off from the outside world and power was centralised, bringing political stability after centuries of warfare. But beneath this surface of harmony, a strict social hierarchy governed every aspect of life, relegating those who did not fit into the system; the sick, the poor and the criminal, to the margins of society. It was during this time that Ueno held a darker, quieter purpose.

Before becoming a public park, the land was associated with Kan'ei-ji Temple, a powerful religious institution intended to protect modern Tokyo from northern spiritual threats. Adjacent to its sacred grounds however, were areas used as burial sites for the outcasts who died nameless and unwanted. These were the "hinin and eta", castes considered “non-human” by the prevailing order. The bodies of these individuals were often buried in haste, without ceremony, in shallow, unmarked graves scattered across the area. Over the decades, thousands of such souls accumulated beneath the soil of what would one day become Ueno Park. For a time, their presence was all but forgotten, hidden beneath layers of urban development and modernisation.

Kiyomizu-do Temple peeks through a circular tree known as the Pine Tree of the Moon

It is said that even today, their spirits linger. On certain nights, people have reported hearing soft cries or seeing flickering lights near the old burial grounds. Ueno park is also known for its many beautiful lanterns. The tradition of lighting them was thought to guide spirits peacefully to the afterlife however visitors also report seeing the lanterns flicker on their own. This eerie phenomenon is believed to be the spirits trapped inside, lingering in the mortal world due to their unwillingness to leave.

Location : Ueno Park, Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo, Japan

How to get there : Finding your way to Ueno is easy from any major train station in central Tokyo. Take the JR Yamanote line in whichever direction happens to be closer. Ueno Station is large so head towards the Hirokoji Exit for Ueno Park. The Central Exit is recommended if you want to pick up English-language information brochure about the park beforehand. For subways, both the Ginza Line and the Hibiya Line stop at Ueno.

Attraction Info : The park itself is free to enter but each attraction has its own set entrance fees. Check the official park website for admission costs to each attraction. The Tokyo Tourist Information Center at Ueno station is open from 9:30am to 6:30pm daily. You could easily lose a full day or two here!

上野恩賜公園

Official Website : www.tokyo-park.or.jp

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