Ueno Park is a Tokyo metropolitan park founded in 1873, and it is big enough that Ueno Zoo and the International Library of Children’s Literature sit inside it as separate facilities, so a visit here can easily become several stops rather than one.
For younger children the pull is Shinobazu Pond, where you can hire a rowboat, a cycle boat or a swan boat by the half hour; the cycle and swan boats both have room for children. Nearby is a small frog fountain, complete with a belly button, that is illuminated after dark. Children are also allowed to catch bugs and pick up acorns, as long as it stays at that small scale – collecting that harms the park, or collecting for commercial use, is not allowed.
The trade-off is that the boats keep much shorter hours than the park: the boat rental closes in the late afternoon or early evening depending on the month, reception stops taking boats an hour before closing, and from December to February it is closed on Wednesdays.
Family FAQ
What are the opening hours of Ueno Park?
The park is open 05:00-23:00; entry outside these hours is not allowed.
How much does Ueno Park cost?
Shinobazu Pond boats cost per 30 minutes: rowboat 800 JPY (up to 3 adults), cycle boat 1,000 JPY (2 adults and 1 child), swan boat 1,000 JPY (2 adults and 2 children).
Is there parking at Ueno Park?
The park's two named lots are for buses only (Lot 1 by reservation), so don't count on parking a car there.
