My Blog Epic - I shall call it Uly...Ueno!

You can click on the pictures to make them bigger!

Well, where to begin? As you've probably already noticed, this is another huge post. Perhaps the biggest I've written and, hopefully, will ever write.
There are a tonne of photos and a couple of videos. There could have been a lot more (we had over 200 to choose from) - check Jenni's facebook for a few more.

This week's adventure location was Ueno and Ueno Park - never heard of it? Well, it's big in Japan. Ueno is one of the biggest train stations in Tokyo and a very busy place in general. Ueno Park, which is right next to the station is just as popular. A lot of stuff is situated in and around Ueno Park; museums, Universities, famous statues, temples, shrines, lakes full of paddle boats...that sort of thing. It also has a lot of history; the usual stuff like famous last stands of loyalists against new claimants, surrender speeches and political demonstrations.
When we went it was even busier than usual; the reason being that Ueno Park is also fairly famous for it's cherry blossoms (sakura) around this time of year.





People from Tokyo and the surrounding districts swarm (see some of the pictures if you think I'm just being a bit 'poetic' with that description) to the park to eat, drink and be merry - there's a very festive feel to it all. We're not sure what the protocol is; if you have to reserve a space or just rock up with your tarpaulin and food. Either way, there are heaps and heaps of people doing just that. They come down in groups...friends, family, whatever...and set up a little spot under the sakura trees for the day. It's like a mass picnic or something. It's very cool though.


Anyway we left the apartment in time to make the 8:43am train from Fukui Station, like last week. You'll be pleased to hear the ticket purchasing process went much more smoothly this time and when we got to Kuki station we didn't even bother trying to make the express 9:31am train. Ueno is closer than Shibuya, so we ended up getting to Ueno at about 10:30am.

However, no sooner had we jumped off the train and headed into Ueno Park than we were horrified to find...

A Peruvian panflute band setting up!


It's true, the pandemic of annoying Peruvian panflute bands has already spread to Japan. (Don't know what I'm talking about? Please watch this South Park episode)

Anyway, moving along, we were both feeling pretty hungry so we decided to head along the side of the park towards the city, where we might find some food. On the way, we came across this statue of Saigo Takamori...walking his dog.

Saigo Takamori is famously known as the Last Samurai. And yes, Ken Wantanabe's character in the movie, The Last Samurai, is based on this guy (not Tom Cruise's character). Anyway, if you wanna know more about him you can google the name. Otherwise the movie gives you the general idea.
Like the rest of the park, there were heaps and heaps of people here - taking photos or just standing around chatting etc. Ditto for when we hit the streets of Ueno. Lots more people. And cars. Here's one. A cool yellow Honda S2000. Segue...succes!


Also saw this, a very nice original looking Toyota AE86 Trueno:

After stopping at a little coffee shop for morning tea we decided to keep looking around Ueno for a while. We ended up spending about an hour wandering around looking at all the different shops and bars/pubs/clubs, and eventually coming to the busy backstreets which continue up to under the train tracks and beyond.


Around this area were all sorts of shops - food, shoes, pets, souvenirs, auto-spares, pachinko (of course) - which became smaller and more market stall-like the deeper into the maze we got. The picture above shows a comparatively clear street and was closer to the main road. Around the worst spots it was basically a traffic jam, there were so many people. Eventually it got to a point where we couldn't push through any further, we just had to turn around and go back.

Heading back towards the park along the main street we saw this: a full suit of medieval plate armor...in a ladies clothes shop.


Ueno in general has a lot of this sort of thing - strange, out-of-place things randomly situated next to, or among, the usual. Like this. A nondescript white building with a huge red neon sign - ADULT MOVIES - literally right at the main intersection of Ueno, just outside the park, next to restaurants, flower shops and the like.


Eventually we got back to the park via a different entrance next to the lake. Again, heaps of people around this area. Many people also brought their dogs down. Most of the dogs were of the very small variety; small poodles, miniature dachshunds etc. Often the dogs weren't being walked, but carried around in little bags or backpacks held or strapped to the owner's body.


Around one section of the lake were about 40 market stalls set up selling stuff which we wandered through. Below is a video of the lake area and a dog. Also a couple of pictures of different types of sakura trees; one with really pink blossoms and another with lots of orange leaves (it looks nice and is actually pretty uncommon).

I mentioned earlier that there were lakes full of paddle boats. Well here they are. The whole area looks like one big lake with a wide pathway through the middle, dividing it. The pathway is covered with sakura trees, which is why you can't see the boats in my previous pictures. We are on the pathway here.


Now, for the picture below. Just have a look at it for a while - note the tightly clenched hands. Now look at the man's face...try to imagine what's going through his mind. Finally, laugh. lol.

Near the end of the path is a small bridge/weir. I was wondering earlier if there were any fish or turtles or dragons in the lake, when we got here I got my answer. I thought this was a good picture of a crane going fishing. The poor bugger wasn't having much luck though...considering the fish (carp perhaps?) were generally atleast twice the size of it. You can't see the fish well in this photo, but have a look at the next one.


Is it just me, or does this duck look decidedly uncomfortable and nervous? I think I would be too.



Once over the bridge there is a huge temple of some sort with a few statues and smaller shrines around it. Also, this was where you came for the food. There were about 25 food stalls lining each side of the path/series of bridges connecting the temple's island to the other side of the park. There was heaps of really nice food and we tried a few things.
Like I mentioned, there are temples and shrines pretty much all over the park. Here's another one. Not sure what it's for exactly, but I think the twin fox statues with the bibs are pretty cool.


We then headed back into the park, onto one of the major 'highways,' or rivers of people. Saw this statue of who we think is General MacArthur. We're not sure though. Whoever it is, it's pretty much saying, "All ur base r belong to us!1!"


We then visited the museum area and went into the main museum of Japan. Spent a good 2 hours in there but still only just a whirlwind tour of the place sort of thing. We weren't really allowed to take photos so we don't have anything from there. There was another main Asian museum and two other 'special' collections that we didn't have time to visit. You could easily spend a day or two just at the museums.
In the end we really only saw about a quarter of what Ueno Park and Ueno had to offer. We got back on the train at Ueno Station at about 8:00pm.

And finally, here are a few pictures taken at night as we wandered back towards the train station.


This is the big temple in the middle of the lake we visited earlier, and you can still see all the people crammed in between the food stalls.


This shot was taken outside the park, near the Shogun cemetery (which was closed by the time we got there). It made me think of the lamp post in Narnia lol. That's the only reason I took this picture.


And just when you thought you were safe...








BAM! More sakura!!

The end.