Saturday 9 October 2010

Ueno





Ueno has been cleaned up over the years.
However, the streets are still grimy, the back streets are still seedy, the fish market is still smelly and the park still attracts the homeless.
I remember Ueno was quite a shit hole when I was first in Tokyo 8 years ago.
It's certainly a long way off being upmarket, and that's probably why I like it.
Still, the effort to make it more presentable is evident.

I find Ueno has a mix of Shinjuku's neon and crowded streets, coupled with the feel of Nakano's backstreets, and yet manages to keep it own uniqueness with a big open air market.

It's well-worth a visit for the market and just to wander.
Keep out of the zoo, though.
It's quite depressing and very small.
You'll feel very sorry for the inhabitants...

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