Ueno Toshogu Shrine#
© H. Maurer
It is one of numerous shrines across the country that are dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate.
The Ueno Toshogu Shrine used to be incorporated into Kaneiji Temple until 1868. Major renovation works were completed in 2013.
Ueno Park (上野公園, Ueno Kōen) is a large public park in central Tokyo. The park grounds were originally part of Kaneiji Temple, which used to be one of the city's largest and wealthiest temples.
However, during the Boshin Civil War Kaneiji suffered much destruction in a battle between the victorious forces of the new Meiji government and loyalists of the overthrown shogunate. After the battle, the temple grounds were converted into one of Japan's first Western style parks and opened to the public in 1873. Ueno Park is famous for the many museums, especially the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum for Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum. It also has many shrines and pagodas ans it is home to Ueno Zoo, Japan's first zoological garden.