
Ueno Park through KCP Student Emily Cole’s Lens
One of Japan’s first public parks is Ueno Park (上野公園) in Taitō, Tokyo. Established in 1873, the park remains a favorite destination for locals and tourists. Not only is it a vast, gorgeous area of ponds, gardens, and thousands of trees, but it also houses several shrines, temples, and museums including the Tokyo National Museum and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
KCP Fall 2012 student Emily Cole had the opportunity to enjoy the scenery at Ueno Park during her stay in the program. These are her fantastic photos of several park areas. Thanks, Emily!
This shot looks out across one of the ponds at the southern end of the Ueno Park area. Taken in October when green still dominated the area. The water plants seem to dwarf the skyscrapers. | KCP Flickr
Changing of the seasons. Same place as the previous picture, but a month later when reds and yellows are creeping across Tokyo. | KCP Flickr
I’ve read that Japan has a fascination with Rockabilly. Ueno is also a great place to catch a plethora of street performers. The two combined to form the basis of this snapshot. I wish I had a longer lens so I could have better captured the cute kid in the background trying to dance with the adults. | KCP Flickr
Entrance to a complex of shrines. | KCP Flickr
A thousand Buddha statues in a temple graveyard just outside of Ueno Park proper. | KCP Flickr
These food stalls are lined up outside the temple situated roughly in the middle of the Ueno Park ponds. Every time I went to Ueno these food stalls were there, so they seem to persist whether or not there’s a festival going on. | KCP Flickr
For more of Emily’s photos of Ueno Park, visit KCP Flickr or our previous blog post.