Ueno Park&Tokyo National Museum Private Tour (Ukiyo-e focus)
Description
Discover the cultural heart of Ueno on a private walking tour at a relaxed pace. Enjoy the highlights of Ueno Park, including Kiyomizu Kannon-do and Ueno Toshogu Shrine, while your guide shares general information about the area. Then visit the Tokyo National Museum, where your guide will accompany you through the museum and provide introductory explanations about selected exhibits. Please note that your guide is not a certified museum curator. Commentary is intended to be introductory in nature and should not be considered a specialist-led tour. ・Enjoy a private tour tailored to your group's pace ・Explore Ueno Park’s historic landmarks ・Receive general cultural insights throughout the tour ・Benefit from prebooked admission to the Tokyo National Museum Important: This tour includes general guidance inside the Tokyo National Museum by a tour guide. It is not a curator-led, docent-led, or specialist museum tour, and detailed academic interpretation of exhibits is not included.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Born in the Satsuma clan, known to all Japanese, he was the general of the government army (Eastern Expeditionary Force) and later the first army general as the original leader of the Restoration. He also participated in the Ueno War as commander of Ueno Hirokoji and Kuromonkuchi. Defeated in 1873 in the war to conquer Korea, he resigned his government post and returned to Kagoshima, where he and his private school students rebelled against the Meiji government in 1877 (Seinan War) and attacked Kumamoto Castle, but were unable to take it, dying in Kagoshima the same year. He became a bandit from a leading figure in the Meiji Restoration, but was pardoned and restored to power with the promulgation of the Imperial Constitution in 1889.
Kiyomizu Kannon-do, nestled in Ueno Park, is a serene temple with a rich history dating back to the Edo period. Modeled after Kyoto’s famous Kiyomizu-dera, the temple is known for its wooden stage that offers a picturesque view of Ueno and the surrounding cherry blossoms in spring. The temple is dedicated to Kosodate Kannon, a deity revered for blessing women with children and safe childbirth. Visitors can experience a tranquil atmosphere while exploring the temple’s beautiful architecture and surrounding gardens. Kiyomizu Kannon-do is a hidden gem that provides a peaceful escape in the heart of Tokyo.
Toshogu is a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu as the deity ‘Tosho Daigongen’. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, he was deified and ‘Tosho-sha’ and later ‘Tosho-gu’ were created in various places. Other famous shrines are Kunozan Toshogu on Mt Kunozan in Shizuoka Prefecture and Nikko Toshogu in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. Ueno Toshogu was built in 1627 by Takatora Todo (feudal lord of Mie and Tsu), who had great respect for Ieyasu Tokugawa and also designed Edo Castle. However, in 1651, the shrine was extensively reconstructed by the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu.
The Tokyo National Museum, Japan's oldest and most prestigious museum, offers a fascinating introduction to the country's history and culture. During your visit, your guide will accompany you through the museum and provide general explanations about Japan's historical periods, artistic traditions, and selected exhibits. The guide is not a museum curator or certified museum docent, and explanations are intended as an overview rather than an in-depth academic interpretation of the collection. Visitors can enjoy viewing a wide range of artifacts, including samurai armor, Buddhist sculptures, kimonos, and ukiyo-e prints, while gaining a broader understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(7)
We have taken many guided tours around the world, including probably more than 15 guided tours in Japan in just two weeks while we were traveling with my 26-year-old son, and unfortunately this was one of the few that was disappointing and felt like a waste of money. Our guide, Mikio, was a very nice person and pleasant to spend time with, and I was trying to be patient throughout the tour. However, the explanations from the guide were minimal. Inside the museum, we were mostly walking around by ourselves and reading the exhibits on our own, while Mikio walked with us more like another visitor rather than providing detailed insight into the artwork and history. We also visited only a few spots in the garden, but there was minimal explanation and it was not very exciting. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this tour unless you are assigned a different guide. In our opinion, visiting the museum independently would provide a very similar experience without the added cost of a private guide.
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We genuinely regret that our Ueno Park & Tokyo National Museum Private Tour did not meet your expectations, especially given your extensive travel experience throughout Japan. We take all reviews seriously and have thoroughly reviewed the details of your tour, including the report from your guide, Mikio. Regarding your request for a full refund, we would like to respectfully share our perspective: Full Completion of Service: This 2.5-hour tour was fully conducted from start to finish without any interruption or on-site complaints. As the entire itinerary and guiding services were successfully delivered, a full refund is not applicable under our policy. General Interest vs. Academic Tour: This experience is designed as an introductory, general-interest cultural tour led by local guides, rather than an academic lecture by a university professor or museum curator. Mikio provided standard, reliable background insights suited for a general audience. Interactive Nature of Private Tours: Private tours thrive on real-time interaction. Our guides are always eager to customize the depth of information based on guests' questions and requests during the tour. As there was minimal feedback on-site, the guide proceeded with the standard pace. While we stand by the fact that the service was fully and properly delivered, we sincerely value your time and feedback. As a gesture of goodwill, we have offered you a 30% partial refund through Viator. We continuously strive to improve our services and appreciate your insights. We wish you and your son all the best in your future travels. Sincerely,
This tour was very insightful and fun. Akiyoshi was a personable and pleasant guide!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed Akiyoshi's tour!
Our tour guide Akiyoshi was very kind, patient, and informative. Awesome experience!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed Akiyoshi's tour!
This was one of the best tours I’ve ever taken because my guide, Akiyoshi, was such an outstanding tour guide. Akiyoshi was incredibly organized, and he provided a lot of information about the displays at the Tokyo National Museum. He showed me photos, and charts with easy to understand historical time periods and events. Those, along with stories and explanations he told, allowed me to understand Japan’s history and how the items on display fit into that history. In addition, he was a world-class guy-very smart, funny, kind and helpful. Akiyoshi went above and beyond in many ways. Thanks to him, I finished the tour with a very clear understanding about Japan’s history. Finally, I am also rating the tour company Gotcha, A+++. There was a delay on my side, due to a taxi driver taking me to the wrong address (he spoke no English, nor did I speak any Japanese); not only was Gotcha astonishingly accommodating, but the Gotcha agent spoke to the cabbie to help him get me to the meeting location (which Gotcha changed to accommodate the cabbie’s mistake). Viator offers many different tour options, but if you sign up with Gotcha, and if you’re lucky enough to get Akiyoshi as your guide, you will enjoy a premiere experience.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed Akiyoshi's tour!
Such an amazing tour. Our guide was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this for everyone coming to Japan.
We truly appreciate your feedback! We are delighted you had a great time on our tour.
Pleasant experience exploring vast area— guide was friendly and well-informed. He did not rush and explained in great detail Japanese historical context.
Thank you for your lovely comment! It is a great compliment for Yutaka! He is glad that you liked the tour! Thank you very much! Have a nice day!
The park and museum were stunning and made even better by the most amazing guide. He was knowledgeable and interesting and he knew his information. It was a wonderful morning and the Cherry trees are incredible!!
Thank you for your lovely comment! It is a great compliment for Masa! We're glad that you liked the tour. We hope you have a nice time here in Japan!