Ueno Park

This park is located in the west of Taito Ward, Tokyo, at the eastern end of the Ueno Plateau, which juts out from the Yamanote Plateau. It spans the Ueno Mountains and the lowlands of Shinobazu Pond, and most of Ueno's tourist and cultural facilities are concentrated within this park. Its area is 532,000 square meters. During the Edo period, the entire park was part of the grounds of Kan'ei-ji Temple. In 1873 (Meiji 6), it became a park managed by the Imperial Household Ministry, and in 1924 (Taisho 13), it was bestowed to the city of Tokyo along with Shinobazu Pond to commemorate the marriage of Emperor Showa. It was opened to the public and named Ueno Onshi Park. It became one of Japan's leading centers of art and culture after the Ueno Zoo was established in 1882 (Meiji 15), the current Tokyo National Museum was established on the former site of the main hall of Kan'ei-ji Temple, and the School of Fine Arts and the School of Music (now Tokyo University of the Arts) were relocated in 1887. After the city was bestowed with the land, the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the Tokyo Cultural Hall were concentrated in the area, and the Japan Academy, the Japan Art Academy, and the Ueno Library (currently the International Library of Children's Literature), a branch of the National Diet Library, were built around the area, further strengthening the trend. In addition to these art and cultural facilities, the area is also the gateway to eastern Japan and a transportation hub in the northeastern part of the city, and its vast green spaces are counted among the best in Tokyo, with famous cherry blossom viewing spots, Shinobazu Pond with its Benten Hall, and the aquarium attracting many people throughout the year. In addition, cultural assets such as the Kiyomizu Kannon Hall of Kan'ei-ji Temple, the five-story pagoda of the former Kan'ei-ji Temple, the former main temple front gate (Kuromon), and the main hall of Toshogu Shrine have been designated as Important Cultural Properties by the nation, and the bronze statue of Saigo Takamori, created by Takamura Koun, has become the symbol of Ueno.

[Kikuchi Masao]

"Ueno Park and its Surroundings, by Hiroaki Toyoshima, Volumes 1 and 2 (1963, Hoshu Shoin)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都台東区(たいとうく)の西部、山手(やまのて)台地から突出した上野台地東端に位置する公園。上野の山と不忍池(しのばずのいけ)の低地にまたがり、上野の観光と文化施設のほとんどはこの公園内に集中している。面積53.2万平方メートル。江戸時代はすべて寛永寺(かんえいじ)の境内であった。1873年（明治6）宮内省管理の公園となり、さらに1924年（大正13）昭和天皇御成婚記念として不忍池とともに東京市に下賜され、一般に開放されて上野恩賜公園と命名された。ここが日本有数の芸術文化の中心となったのは、1882年（明治15）に上野動物園、寛永寺本堂跡に現在の東京国立博物館、1887年美術学校・音楽学校（現、東京芸術大学）などが開設、移築されてからである。さらに、東京市に下賜後、科学博物館、都美術館、国立西洋美術館、東京文化会館などが集中し、それらを囲むように日本学士院、日本芸術院、国立国会図書館支部上野図書館（現、国際子ども図書館）などができ、ますますその傾向が強くなった。この芸術、文化の諸施設に、東日本の玄関口と都北東部の交通拠点という地位をも加えて、広大な緑地は都内随一に数えられ、サクラの名所、弁天(べんてん)堂のある不忍池や水族館などが、四季を通じて多くの人を集めている。また、文化財としては寛永寺清水(きよみず)観音堂、旧寛永寺五重塔、旧本坊表門（黒門）、東照宮(とうしょうぐう)本殿などは国の重要文化財に指定され、高村光雲(こううん)制作の西郷隆盛銅像(さいごうたかもりどうぞう)は上野のシンボルとなっている。

［菊池万雄］

『豊島寛彰著『上野公園とその付近』上下（1963・芳洲書院）』

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