NORTHERN TOKYO

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t People enjoying hanami picnics under the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park

Experience Northern Tokyo

The northern districts of Ueno and Asakusa contain what remains of Tokyo’s old Shitamachi (low city). Once the heart and soul of culture in Edo, Shitamachi became the subject of countless ukiyo-e wood-block prints. Merchants and artisans thrived here, as did Kabuki theater. As a consequence of this liberal atmosphere, the Yoshiwara red-light district moved near Asakusa in the 17th century after the Great Fire of Meireki destroyed nearly 70 per cent of the city in 1657. By 1893 there were over 9,000 women living and working in this raucous area.

Shops, restaurants, and museums in Asakusa tend to revolve around traditional culture, thanks to the influence of the district’s most important site, the bustling Senso-ji temple, which keeps history at the forefront of the local community. Ueno, meanwhile, is known for its vast and beautiful park. In the late 19th century, Dr Anthonius Baudin, a Dutch military doctor, observed the area’s natural beauty and successfully petitioned for the land to be turned into one of Japan’s first public parks, rather than the proposed army hospital and cemetery. The park became a haven for art and thought, hosting the first and second National Industrial Exhibitions in 1887 and 1881 respectively, and becoming home to the Tokyo National Museum in 1882.

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