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Tokyo Trip: 10 Most Popular Spots in Ueno (September 2019 Ranking)

Tokyo Trip: 10 Most Popular Spots in Ueno (September 2019 Ranking)

Last updated: 9 March 2020

These are the top recommendations for Ueno, with travel tips and more, according to LIVE JAPAN, a top-class travel website for visitors to Japan. Our ranking is based on the most popular pages viewed by foreign visitors in a given category.

For instance, Niki no Kashi in Ameyoko, Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street, Nezu Shrine and other related spots will be listed. Be sure to check them out during your visit to Ueno!

1.Niki no Kashi in Ameyoko

1.Niki no Kashi in Ameyoko

Niki no Kashi has been a vendor and wholesale distributor of candy and snacks in the Ameyoko shopping district of Ueno since 1947, and this location is Niki no Kashi’s first candy and snacks shop.
The store at this location has a price system where you can buy just one item and still get a good price, while there is also the option of making bulk purchases to get a greater discount if you buy the minimum fixed quantity.
The 1st and 2nd floors are stacked with an impressive array of candy and snacks, and also region-specific snacks such as Kit Kats from different regions throughout Japan can all be bought in this one spot.
Souvenirs, including favorites such as Kororo, Umaibo, Oyatsu Calpas, Cheese Oyatsu, etc. are fully stocked and many other products, like wasabi and green tea flavored snacks and gift items are available as well.
The product selection changes from season to season, and new products that are popular in Japan on any given day can be found right here.

2.Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street

2.Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street

Yanaka Ginza Shopping District is a local shopping street in downtown Tokyo that retains the good old shitamachi atmosphere. The friendly service, the close rapport between staff and the customer, and the human warmth keep customers coming back. This district is located in an area called Yanesen, which is the connected areas of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi. It is so popular that many people come from afar, especially on weekends. There are 70 stores along the 170-meter-long street, mainly older private shops. Not only locals but tourists as well can enjoy traditional Japanese sweets, cakes, crafts, take-out dishes, cafes and so on. Enjoy a stroll along this pleasant street with its charming awnings, signboards and cat-motif street furniture.

3.Nezu Shrine

3.Nezu Shrine

The ”Nezu Shrine” was built in Gongen-zukuri in 1706. All the buildings from the main hall to the hall of offerings, the hall of worship, the Karamon (a type of gate seen in Japanese architecture), the Nishi-mon (west gate), the Sukibei (lattice-windowed wall) and the two-storied gate still exist today, and they have been designated as National Important Cultural Property. Its history traces back 1900 years ago, when the shrine was (allegedly) established by Yamato Takeru where Sendagi exists now. During the Bunmei era (1469 - 1486) the main building of the shrine was established by Ota Dokan (1432 - 1486) and during the Edo period (1600/1603 - 1868) Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646 - 1709) - the fifth shogun - established the main building of the current shrine which he then relocated from Sendagi where the old shrine existed to its current location, also in Sendagi. Also, on the premises is a 6,600 square-meter azalea garden where about 3,000 azaleas of 100 different types bloom in Late April (depending on the climate of the year). During this period, street stalls such as Amazake-chaya (traditional Japanese teahouse famous for its Amazake: a traditional Japanese (alcoholic and non-alcoholic available) drink made from fermented rice) and Ueki-ichi (flower market) are lined up at the premises.

4.Ameyoko Shopping Street

4.Ameyoko Shopping Street

The Ameyayokocho shotengai (shopping street) is located between JR Okachimachi Station and JR Ueno Station. It is a lively market with the charming atmosphere of historic downtown Tokyo and is visited by many shoppers every day. In addition to the well-known fish and crab, there is a wide variety of shops selling everything from clothing to Asian food, as well as food stalls. Looking back at its history, it is said to have grown out of a black market that sprung up in the years following the end of World War II. Initially, when sweets were valuable, many shops sold sweet potato candies and candies called amedama, but once the Korean War started in 1950, many shops began selling articles procured from the American military forces and the Market gradually changed from a black market to a shopping district. Because it was selling imported goods, it began to be called Ameyoko, which is a combination of ”Ameya-yokocho” (candy store lane) and ”Amerika-yokocho” (America lane). Even today, there is an ”Ameya-yokocho” sign on the Ueno side where many food stores are, and an ”Ameyoko” sign on the Okachimachi side, where many import stores are. It is well-known as a market full of shoppers buying fresh food at the end of the year to prepare for the New Year.

  • Ameyoko Shopping Street
    • Address 4, Ueno, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-0005
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3832-5053

5.Ueno Toshogu

5.Ueno Toshogu

Located in Ueno Park, Ueno Toshogu Shrine is a cultural property of significant value. It was built in 1627 as a Shinto shrine enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Later in 1651, the third shogun Iemitsu ordered massive scale reconstruction. Its main hall was richly decorated with gold foils, which eventually gave the nickname of the ”shrine of gold”. In the shrine precinct you can enjoy viewing the essence of the every season such as peonies and cherry blossoms in spring colored leaves in Autumn. Any time of the year the shrine is filled with people who pray for their academic achievement and better luck. The shrine is also a popular tourist attraction for overseas visitors because it is the place to see a genuine Edo/Tokyo style building right in the middle of Tokyo.

  • Ueno Toshogu
    • Address 9-88, Uenokouen, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-0007
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      5 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3822-3455

6.Takeya

6.Takeya

Takeya is a long-established general-discount department store dating back to 1947. They stock consumer electronics, PCs, clothes, watches and jewelry, foods, alcoholic beverages, commodities, sporting goods, pharmaceuticals, furniture, stationery goods and more. Over 200,000 items are available, often at low prices. The advantage of Takeya is that its goods are selected nationwide by buyers for the store, so the quality is excellent. All counters are staffed by experts specializing in the products: consumer electronics advisers, jewelry coordinators, food advisers, Japanese sake (alcoholic beverages) advisers, pharmacists, and makeup artists whom you will find helpful. I

  • Takeya
    • Address 4-33-2, Taitou, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-0016
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    • Nearest Station Naka-Okachimachi Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3835-7777

7.Best Okachimachi

7.Best Okachimachi

Located a two-minute walk from Exit 3 of Nakaokachimachi station, Best Okachimachi is the only specialized jewelry store of the Best Ishida authorized watch retailer stores.

Thanks to the reasonable prices, the store enjoys visits and high praise from both regular customers as well as domestic and international buyers. In particular, there are many foreign residents in Japan who repeatedly come back as customers. Its 18-karat gold and diamond products are very popular. As well as our regular stock, they also have goods that have been procured at auction, new products and reused articles, and the staff take pride in offering a variety of designs and stock that cannot be found at a regular jewelry store.

8.Ueno Park

8.Ueno Park

Ueno-onshi-koen, or the Ueno Park, is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing sites in Japan, and there are about 1,200 cherry trees in the park. Every spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom, nearly 2 million people visit the park for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing (a custom in which food and alcohol are enjoyed under blooming cherry trees). In the evening, bonbori (paper lanterns) are lit, and the cherry blossoms look fantastic as they appear in the soft illumination of the paper lanterns. There are various festivals held in the summer such as enthusiastic performances by various artists, music concerts on the outdoor stage, and a bon-dance festival. (Bon is a religious observation.) A beautiful autumn foliage can also be viewed, and it attracts many visitors who want to experience a tasteful walk. In winter, there is an exhibition of beautiful peonies at the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, which is situated within the park. Peonies are some of the auspicious flowers celebrating a new year. Also, a zoo, a museum, and an art gallery are placed within the park premises, so the premises is widely known as bunka-no-mori (translated as the forest of culture).

  • Ueno Park
    • Address Uenokouen, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-0007
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3828-5644

9.ARAI Academy Akamonkai Japanese Language School

9.ARAI Academy Akamonkai Japanese Language School

Akamonkai Japanese Language School, established in 1985, currently holds nearly 2,000 international students from over 40 different countries around the world. Qualified and experienced Japanese language teachers instruct each student carefully. Many students at Akamonkai aim to advance to higher education or find jobs in Japan. The school provides total support for their exams or job hunting. There are staff speaking English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian. They support for students’ daily life including finding a part-time job. Akamonkai staff all together support students to be a person who can play an important role globally.
Short term programs that can be applied with a short term stay or with other visas are also popular. In 3 months short term course, students can study in the intensive Japanese classes with long term course students. In addition, Special short program (3 to 4 weeks) provides Japanese lessons in the morning and wide variety of extracurricular activities to experience Japanese culture in the afternoon.

  • ARAI Academy Akamonkai Japanese Language School
    ARAI Academy Akamonkai Japanese Language School
    学校法人 新井学園 赤門会日本語学校 本校
    • Address 6-39-12 Higashinippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-0014
    • Nearest Station Nippori Station (JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Nippori-Toneri Liner / Keisei Main Line / Narita SKY ACCESS Line)
      10 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3806-6102

10.Ueno Zoo (Ueno Zoological Gardens)

10.Ueno Zoo (Ueno Zoological Gardens)

Opened in 1882, this was the first zoo to be established in Japan. There are about 400 different species and 3,000 animals kept in this zoo. The zoo is divided into two areas, the East garden where the popular giant pandas and the swimming polar bears can be seen, and the West garden where you can observe small animals like the aye-aye, which is rarely seen in Japan, and interact with guinea pigs and rabbits. At the Shinobazu Pond in the west part of the zoo, you can see various birds, and feel various animals living in the zoo very close by. Guided tours by led by expert staff are also held regularly.

  • Ueno Zoo (Ueno Zoological Gardens)
    • Address 9-83, Uenokouen, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-8711
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      5 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3828-5171
*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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