Bronze statue of Saigo Takamori
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Start the trip with the statue of Saigo Takamori,
a key player in the Meiji Restoration
The statue of this great man appears before your eyes as you enter the park from Keisei Ueno Station. It is a statue of Saigo Takamori (1828-1877), a key player in the Meiji Restoration that ended the Edo Shogunate and promoted the modernization of Japan. The statue was sculpted by Koun Takamura, father of Kotaro Takamura. The Saigo Takamori statue was installed at Ueno Park in 1898. The reason was that the Battle of Ueno was fought here between the Shogitai, which were surviving troops of the Edo Shogunate, and the new government army led by Saigo. The battle was won by the new government army, and it has been told that the location of the statue is where Saigo led that army in the final attack. The Shogitai cemetery located behind the statue is also a must-see.
From here, take a leisurely walk through the park. Ueno Park was also the site of the National Industrial Exhibition held in 1907, which featured the latest attractions such as a Ferris wheel and water slides, and a festival that continued into the night in the area surrounding Shinobazu Pond. Ueno became one of the places representing Japan, which entered the Meiji period of rapid modernization.
Statue of Saigo Takamori
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Free to visit
Shogitai cemetery
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Free to visit
Shogitai cemetery
Ueno Park