April 2025 – たいとう文化発信プログラムCMS

2025年4月23日2025年4月23日

Experience museums up close! Ueno Museum Week is back again this year!

From Friday, May 9th to Sunday, May 25th, Ueno area will be hosting museums, popular spots, gourmet food, and more! It's a special week where you can get around the city while enjoying culture and art at a great price!

In the Ueno area, in commemoration of International Museum Day on May 18th, 13 facilities around Ueno Park, including museums, art galleries, and the zoo, will cooperate with Ueno Norenkai member stores to hold Ueno Museum Week. The popular digital stamp rally will continue this year, as it did last year, and the newly renovated new spot, Shitamachi Museum, will be added, making this a special week that is even more appealing. Combine this with the annual "Town Fun" coupon and enjoy this special time when the whole of Ueno becomes a theme park full of art.

As expected, the biggest attraction this time is the "free admission" that will be held on "International Museum Day" on May 18th. On that day, you can enjoy free admission to the permanent exhibitions of five museums: Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, National Museum of Western Art, Former Tokyo Music School Concert Hall, and Shitamachi Museum (※Tokyo National Museum's Tokyo National Museum Collection Exhibition is included).

Another highlight is the digital stamp rally! There will be 15 stamp points in the Ueno area, from cultural facilities in Ueno Park to various spots in the Ueno shopping district!

Rally points include not only the cultural facilities within the park, but also spots within the city where you can experience art, such as CREATIVE HUB UENO “es” (Ueno Station), a gallery created by renovating the site of the former police box at Ueno Station, Lloyd Works Gallery, which brings together up-and-coming artists, Buzzchika (located in the basement of Shinobuzz Brewery Hitsuji Ice), which not only holds art exhibitions but also frequently hosts theater performances, and Room 101 (Hanazono Alley), where young art creators gather.

Please come and enjoy the atmosphere of Ueno, the city of art, during International Museum Day and the stamp rally.

The stamp rally rewards include a Morimachi coupon that can be used at gourmet and shopping stores in the Ueno area if you collect zero stamps, a digital art piece created in collaboration with creators if you collect three stamps, and the right to enter a lottery for prizes from participating cultural facilities if you collect seven stamps. If you visit 15 stamp locations, your chances of winning the prizes at the seven locations will double. Be sure to try to complete the rally!

■Event Overview■
International Museum Day Commemorative Events 2025 Ueno Museum Week
Event period: Friday, May 9th, 2023 to Sunday, May 25th, 2023
Venues (participating facilities and organizations): Tokyo National Museum / National Museum of Nature and Science / National Museum of Western Art / The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts / Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Ueno Zoological Gardens / The Ueno Royal Museum / Taito Ward Former Tokyo Music School Concert Hall / Former Iwasaki Gardens / National Museum of Modern Architecture / National Diet Library International Children's Library / Toeizan Kan'ei-ji Temple / Taito Ward Shitamachi Museum / Ueno Noren Association participating stores (in no particular order)
*There will be days when the museum is closed during the exhibition period.
Organized by: Ueno Museum Week Executive Organization Federation
Co-hosted by Ueno Norenkai
Sponsored by: National Museum of Nature and Science Foundation
Cooperation: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Eastern Park and Green Space Office, Taito City, Taito City Arts and Culture Foundation
Official site: http://www.ueno-mw.com/

■[Ueno Morimachi Wandering] Ueno Museum Week 2025 ~ International Museum Day ~ ■
A digital stamp rally will be held from Friday, May 9th to Sunday, May 25th. Stamp points will appear at the participating facilities listed below.

[Checkpoint introduction]
1. Tokyo National Museum
2. National Museum of Nature and Science
3. National Museum of Western Art
4. National Diet Library International Library of Children's Literature
5. Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
6. The Ueno Royal Museum
7. Former Tokyo Music School Concert Hall
8. Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum
9. Toeizan Kan'eiji Temple, Main Hall
10. Former Iwasaki Residence Garden
11. Shitamachi Museum
12. Lloyd Works Gallery
13. CREATIVE HUB UENO “es” (JR Ueno Station)
14. Bazchika
15. Room 101 (Hanazono Alley)

[How to use]
Download the digital stamp rally app "furari" onto your smartphone. Go to the designated location of the participating facility and collect your stamp.

0 stamps: Morimachi coupons that can be used at restaurants and shopping establishments in the Ueno area
3 stamps…..Arts and Culture Association creator collaboration digital art work
7 stamps…..Prizes from participating museums
15 stamps…..Prizes from participating museums (2x chance of winning)

*Prizes will be shipped to the winners one to two months after the end of Museum Week.

★0 stamps
Morimachi coupons that can be used at restaurants and shopping establishments in the Ueno area
From eel, yakiniku, western food, and sweets to women's clothing, bags, and Sukajan jackets
Please take advantage of this special coupon that can be used widely.

List of stores and facilities where you can use digital coupons
https://ueno-morimachi.jp/coupon

★3 stamps
Creator collaboration digital art work
We will be distributing digital artworks created by five young artists from the Ueno area-based art support group, Geio Nurture Town Club.

★7 stamps
List of prizes from participating museums

Tokyo National Museum Award
・Tokyo National Museum Collection Exhibition invitation ticket + original ticket folder set (20 pairs, 40 tickets)
・URL: https://www.tnm.jp/

*National Museum of Nature and Science Award
・Common invitation ticket
Set of 2 tickets for 20 people. *Each person can enter the permanent exhibition at one of the facilities (Ueno Main Building, Tsukuba Botanical Garden, or Garden for Nature Study) once.
・URL: http://www.kahaku.go.jp

*National Museum of Western Art Award
– 40 free tickets for the special exhibition "Nationalmuseum of Sweden Drawing Collection: From the Renaissance to the Baroque" (20 pairs)
・URL: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/

〇Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum Award
・University Art Museum original postcard 20 people (20 people)
・URL: https://museum.geidai.ac.jp/

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
・20 pairs of invitation tickets (40 people) to the exhibition "The Joy of Making: DIY for Living"
・URL: https://www.tobikan.jp/

Ueno Royal Museum Award
・20 postcards (for 20 winners)
・URL: http://www.ueno-mori.org/

* Former Tokyo Music School Concert Hall Award
・20 pairs of "2 invitation tickets + clear file" (20 people)
・URL: https://www.taitogeibun.net/sougakudou/

Toeizan Kan'eiji Temple Award
・Special not-for-sale stamp book (1 per person): 10 winners
・URL: http://kaneiji.jp/

* Former Iwasaki Residence Garden Award
・20 sets of Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden original mini clear file + original postcard (20 winners)
・URL: https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/kyu-iwasaki-tei/

〇National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Architecture
20 sets of 4 postcards of the collection's drawings, etc. (20 winners)
・URL: https://nama.bunka.go.jp/

Shitamachi Museum
・2 invitation tickets + 3 postcards for 20 pairs (20 winners)
・URL: https://www.taitogeibun.net/shitamachi/

Ueno Norenkai
・Invitation tickets for the special exhibition "Tsutaya Juzaburo: A Turbulent Figure in the Content Business" (20 pairs, 20 winners)
・URL: https://uenonorenkai.com/zasshi_ueno.html

[Checkpoint introduction]

roidworksgallery | roidworksgallery

Exhibition title: Astral Projection
Artists: Shunsuke Saiki, Yuka Numata, Keita Motooka
Dates: Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Sunday, May 25, 2025 *Open daily
Business hours: 12:00-19:00 (18:00 on the last day)
Venue: roidworksgallery
〒113-0034 4-6-12 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Yushima High Town B Building 1F
TEL: 03-3812-4712

CREATIVE HUB UENO “es”

Address: 7-1-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo (near the Asakusa exit of Ueno Station)
Opening hours: 11:00-19:00 (last entrance 18:45)
Closed on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday)
*The venue will be closed from May 9th to 19th due to maintenance.

Exhibition title: Tomohiro Kubota Ogisu solo exhibition "5/?R"
Exhibition Profile
This exhibition reconstructs Kubota Ogisu's 2017 graduation project, Temporary Discard Catalog, as a practice of public and private collection and value standards, raising questions about how artists' products are left behind and the ambiguity of their assets and liabilities.

Tomohiro Kubota Oguiss

In 2020, he graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts, majoring in printmaking. He is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at the same university. He focuses on the “debt” aspect of cultural assets, and often creates works that do not involve physical production, through the temporary movement of objects, contracts, and acts of assuming the debts of others. His work aims to critically consider how art interacts with institutions and the economy through the very processes of ownership, management, movement, and preservation. In his recent works, he takes personal experiences and real events as his starting point to explore the relationship between ownership and responsibility of objects in communities, and the debt that extends from individuals to organizations and even institutions.

Yamanote Line Museum Ueno Station Park Exit (Introduction of related facilities)
JR Ueno Station Park Ticket Gate Connecting Passage From the first train to the last train

An exhibition space decorates the walls inside the Ueno Station Park ticket gates, which connect to cultural facilities such as art galleries and museums.
Part of the wall is a space for live painting, so you may be able to see artists painting live when the works are being replaced.

Gaku Igarashi

She spent her early childhood in Australia, working as a nursery teacher while also creating art. After returning to Japan, she began her career as an artist in earnest.
The company collaborates with various companies and brands, focusing on its original characters, the dwarf "ELF" and the human-like "HAPPY PEOPLE."
Her paintings, which are warm, gentle and vivid in color, are popular among a wide range of people.

Bazuchika
[Bazchika Exhibition Information]
Exhibition title: FIND IT!!! (Exhibited during Ueno Museum Week 2025)

Date: Friday, May 23, 2025 – Sunday, May 25, 2025
Opening hours 14:00-20:00
Location: Buzzchika 2-10-7 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Shinobaz Brewery Hitsuji Ice Basement
Artist information: Iida Megumi, Madoka Goto, Hasama, Ten Momose, Itsuki Yanagisawa

Room 101

Address: 101 Hanazono Alley, 3-3-9 Ikenohata, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Exhibition title: "About Trees"
Exhibition Profile
Period: End of April to end of July 2025 *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Artist Information Shuji Yamamoto
Born in Tokyo in 1979. Graduated from Tama Art University in 2005. With a background as a gardener, he travels around Japan and conducts fieldwork on the theme of "the relationship between nature and humans," creating a variety of works including two-dimensional works and installations.

Art-Cultivating Town Club Creator Collaboration Digital Art Artist Introduction

Good Damage Gummy

Born in 2000 in Chiba Prefecture
Biography
March 2024: Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Oil Painting
April 2024: Enrolled in the Master's program at the Musashino Art University Graduate School of Art and Design. Currently enrolled in the Master's program.
January 2024 2023 Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition/Musashino Art University Takanodai Campus
November 2024 Group Exhibition:EPIC PAINTERS Vol:14@THE blank GALLERY,Tokyo

Madoka Goto

Taking inspiration from moments in daily life that catch his eye, he creates Japanese paintings by reconstructing the impressions he receives at that moment and place using colors, patterns and shapes.

Biography
Born in Hokkaido in 2000
2022 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Japanese Painting
2025 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts, Department of Design

2020 20th Sato Taisei Prize Public Art Exhibition Itabashi Ward Mayor Award
Selected for the 39th Ueno Mori Art Award Exhibition in 2021
2022 Musashino Art University Graduation Exhibition Excellence Award
2022: Admission to the Master's Program in Design at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
2022: 9th batch of recipients accepted into the Kamiyama Foundation Arts Support Program
2022 49th Soga Exhibition 2022 Selected
2022 FACE 2023 Selected
2024 11th Go Sakura Museum of Art Ouka Award Exhibition Encouragement Award
2024 Solo Exhibition "My Dear" Etsuko Shibata Gallery
2024 Toyohashi Triennale Hoshino Shingo Award Exhibition Selected

Hasama

An artist who fuses graffiti and calligraphy to reinterpret the beauty of traditional calligraphy and the freedom of street art in a contemporary context, carving out poetic rhythms and power in urban spaces and creating a new dialogue between vision and words.

Momose Heaven

2002 Born in Nagano Prefecture
2020 Musashino Art University, School of Art and Design, Department of Oil Painting, Oil Painting Major Admission
Selected for the 72nd Chubi Exhibition
2021 Group Exhibition "Yoshiki no Sato" in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Group exhibition at Gallery JUILLET, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
Tachikawa Tachihi LaLaport Glass Paint
2024 47th Tokyo Five Art Universities Joint Graduation Exhibition, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Oil Painting
Musashino Art University Graduate School of Art and Design, Oil Painting Course

Itsuki Yanagisawa

Biography
Born in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture in December 2001
2024.3 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Oil Painting

Exhibition history
2022.10 "The 48th Tokyo Art Festival" Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
2024.2 "Daigeikukai Exhibition" by the Art and Culture Association, Matsuzakaya Ueno Store, 7th floor Art Gallery
2024.2 Hakkendou "Young Artists Exhibition "Good Buds, Swelling Buds" in TOKYO2024" Matsuzakaya Ueno Store
2024.9 Hakkendou "KANZEN" Isetan Shinjuku store

■Don't throw away that ticket stub! Coupon service■
During the event period, you can receive free services by presenting your ticket stub from each museum at the stores listed below. For details on the services, please see the Ueno Museum Week official website.

[Participating stores]
Yoshizushi Ueno Branch
Anmitsu Mihashi
Izuei (eel restaurant)
Hatoya (Women's clothing)
Tenju (Tempura)
Kaiseki Chinese cuisine Ueno Ikenohata Kogetsu
Western food Kurofunetei
Kameya Issuitei (grilled eel and seasonal dishes)
Yakiniku Taishoen
Sakurai carefully selected western cuisine
Shabu-shabu Potted tree

[How to use]
Present your ticket stub for a cultural facility in Ueno Park
QR codes on smartphones and printed copies at convenience stores and ticket booths are also accepted.
* One ticket per person
* Cannot be used in conjunction with coupon services

■International Museum Day Presents■
[Tokyo University of the Arts University Art Museum]
Free museum original goods
●Time: May 18th (Sun) 10:00~
●Venue: Entrance Hall of the University Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
● Target: First 50 visitors to the exhibition

■What is International Museum Day? ■
"International Museum Day" is a museum commemoration day established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977. Commemorative events are held at museums around the world on and around May 18th with the aim of familiarizing many people with museums and raising awareness of the role of museums. Ueno, which is rare even on an international level in terms of the large number of cultural facilities such as museums and art galleries gathered there, holds various commemorative events every year around "International Museum Day" as "Ueno Museum Week", held by cultural facilities and the Ueno Noren Association.

■Ueno Norenkai■
Ueno, the cloud of flowers, is the representative entertainment district of this part of Edo. It is the source of art and culture of this part of the Meiji period. The Ueno Noren Association is a federation of about 100 famous stores in Ueno. Since its founding in 1959 (Showa 34), it has been publishing the town magazine "Ueno" every month with the aim of rediscovering the cultural traditions of this area. This is the 785th issue (as of May 2025).

■ Flyer ■

◎Inquiries
Ueno Museum Week Executive Committee Secretariat
TEL 03-3833-8016 FAX 03-3839-2765 (Ueno Norenkai, weekdays 10:00-17:00)

From the Ueno Norenkai press release

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

See other exhibition information

2025年4月21日2025年4月21日

A report on the newly reopened Shitamachi Museum. The museum, where you can experience the culture and traditions of Tokyo’s downtown area, has revamped its exhibits.

Taito City Museum

The Shitamachi Museum was opened in 1980 to convey the culture and traditions of the good old Tokyo downtown area to future generations, and has entertained many visitors, including foreign visitors to Japan. It was closed in the spring of 2023 for major renovations due to the aging of the facility, but has now reopened under the new name Shitamachi Museum .

*For information on the previous state of the Shitamachi Museum, click here⇒
https://www.culture.city.taito.lg.jp/ja/reports/29750

With this large-scale renovation, the exhibition area, which was previously only on the first and second floors, has been expanded to the third floor. New nursing rooms and barrier-free toilets have also been installed, making the facility enjoyable for even more people.

The exhibition room on the first floor recreates the streets of downtown Tokyo in the 1950s. The model is a corner of a lantern shop that operated on Kanasugi Street in Sakamoto (now Negishi 3-chome) , Taito Ward, which escaped damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Tokyo Air Raids and where many old streets and buildings remained until recently. You can actually enter the life-size tenement house and experience the lifestyle and atmosphere of those times.

The recreated exhibit before the renovation was modeled after the Taisho era, but according to museum researcher Kondo Takeshi, they decided to completely revamp the content to mark the first major renovation in over 40 years since the museum opened.

“The reason we decided to set the exhibition in the 1950s, 60 to 70 years ago, was because we wanted to encourage people who were there at the time to come and see the exhibit with their families and have conversations like, ‘Oh, so this tool was used like this,'” says Kondo.

In addition, Kanasugi-dori Street had many remaining research materials such as drawings, and Mr. Igarashi, the owner of the Igarashi Lantern Shop, which is the core of the exhibition, was still alive and able to provide various forms of cooperation, which was a deciding factor for the model.
(Although the building has been rebuilt, the Igarashi Lantern Shop is still in business.)

In the 1950s and 60s, the quality of life in the downtown area was improving due to the redevelopment of districts and streets after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and the period of high economic growth during the postwar reconstruction. On the large screen installed in the exhibition area, a retro-style animation video is being shown that depicts Kanasugi-dori Street during that period.

In the video, a main street is lined with “Omote-nagaya” (front row houses) housing shops, restaurants, beauty salons and more, and while trams and cars run along the road, there are also vegetable carts and ramen stalls. The video conveys that old-fashioned lifestyles continue to thrive amid the waves of a new era, and deliberately no background music is used, instead emphasizing environmental sounds such as the sound of trams running and birds chirping to create a sense of realism.

The video changes over time from morning to noon to evening to night,
They will alternate between the “Spring/Summer version” and the “Autumn/Winter version” depending on the season.

Even as infrastructure such as electricity and gas was developed, lanterns remained an essential item in downtown areas, where many festivals were held. The Igarashi Lantern Shop, which has been in business since the end of the Edo period, has a display that recreates the workshop where lanterns were assembled and inscribed. On display are round festival lanterns, anvils and hammers for fixing the top and bottom of the lanterns, and paintbrushes for inscribing and coloring.

These items, such as household items and furniture, were basically donated by the ward’s residents, so they show signs of wear and tear. You can touch them, and get a feel for their texture and weight, which is one of the museum’s attractions. (Please handle them with care when touching them.)

In the living space, you can also see a black telephone, which has quietly become popular in the current retro fashion boom.

An alley is both a passageway and a living space.
It was also a playground for children and a place for residents to socialize.

Behind the workshop is the living space and kitchen, and if you exit the kitchen through a back door into the alley, you will find a “back alley” across the street. In addition to the craftsmen and office workers who commuted from home to their workplace, the back alley was home to peddlers such as street kamishibai storytellers, and the exhibition recreates the residence of a kamishibai storyteller.

The back alley has an entrance and a back door next to each other.

There are cheap snacks in the drawers on stage.

Glass jars and wooden boxes for storing cheap sweets are placed on the step up to the entrance. Kamishibai performers made a living by selling cheap sweets to the children who came to watch the kamishibai shows, but on rainy days when the show couldn’t be performed, children would sometimes come to the house looking for cheap sweets.

If you look closely at the exhibits, you’ll notice that, like the everyday scenes depicted in the animation, old and new things coexist together, such as “while there’s a gas stove in the kitchen, there’s also a charcoal grill in use.” Kondo says he was particularly particular about recreating the transitional period. When elementary school students visit on social studies field trips, he says he sometimes has them learn in a game-like way, asking them, “What did we use to cook before the gas stove was invented? Let’s find something that has the same function!”

The second floor area is a permanent exhibition room where you can learn about the history and culture of the downtown area, centered around Taito Ward, from the Meiji period through to the 1950s.

In the introductory exhibit just inside the building, two types of videos are shown on the screen: a video tracing the history of Taito Ward in the style of a sugoroku game, and a video introducing the everyday items that supported the lives of our ancestors. In addition, on the stage in front of the screen, actual items of the everyday items featured in the video are arranged by category: “clothing,” “food,” “housing,” “commerce (merchants),” and “occupations (craftsmen).”

“Initially, the idea for the introductory exhibit was to select and exhibit just one of the collection materials that symbolizes Shitamachi Museum. However, even as a curator, it is difficult to clearly define the concept of ‘shitamachi’, and it is impossible to express it with just one material. So, as one way of showing it, we placed a chabudai (a traditional dining table), which was the center of family gatherings, in the center, and displayed the items in an arrangement that spread out around it. We decided that the atmosphere that is created when the items are lined up is what we call ‘shitamachi.'” (Kondo)

The exhibition features a wide range of items, from tools that children today may already know, such as dining tables and beckoning cats, to items that have completely disappeared in the Reiwa era, such as glass fly traps and money boxes used by merchants to deposit sales proceeds. It’s interesting to look at these unknown tools and imagine how they could be used.

Continuing on, the exhibits are divided into sections: “1. Culture and life in the downtown area since the Edo period,” “2. The Great Kanto Earthquake and reconstruction,” “3. Life during wartime,” “4. Starting over from the ruins,” “5. Towards rapid economic growth,” and “6. Life connected to our Taito ward.” They look back on how the townscape, lifestyles, and more have changed due to the major changes of each era.

In the space in the center of the exhibition room, exhibits related to annual events will be changed according to the season.
The theme at the time of the interview was “cherry blossoms.”

The renovation created an exhibition space that is integrated into the wall,
The way the materials are presented is also more striking than before.

Topics from each era are introduced with photos and illustrations, making it easy for even children to understand.

The “automatic telephone” (later a public telephone) that previously greeted visitors at the entrance to the facility also appeared in the area as a symbol of the transition of the downtown area. The first automatic telephones in Japan were installed in 1900, at Ueno and Shinbashi stations.

“Ueno-Asakusa Section Construction Outline” (1927/Tokyo Underground Railway Co., Ltd.), etc.

It’s easy to miss, but there are various documents hidden in the drawers, so be sure to check them out. For example, Taito Ward was the first area in Japan to have a subway (the current Ginza Line) in 1927, and the “Ueno-Asakusa Section Construction Overview” is a booklet that summarizes the construction of the subway at that time. The current Ginza Line runs from Asakusa to Ueno, turns west at Shinbashi, and goes to Shibuya, but the document states that the original route was planned to go from Shinbashi to Onarimon and then to Shinagawa, which was very interesting.

“Air raid hood” (1930s), “gas mask” (1930s), etc.

Materials related to “Shinsekai” in Asakusa, a popular “entertainment department store”

The newly opened third floor area houses a special exhibition room and a downtown information corner.

The special exhibition room changes exhibits three times a year, roughly every four months, and the first special exhibition has the theme of “What kind of town is a downtown?” It explores what a downtown is, from the establishment of Tokyo’s downtown (Taito Ward was not included in the downtown area when it was first established), to the history of its expansion, and the occupations and temperaments of the people who lived there.

3rd floor Special Exhibition Room: “What is Shitamachi Like?” Exhibition (until June 29, 2025)

The adjacent Shitamachi Information Corner has a touch-screen terminal called “Shitamachi Material Search” that allows visitors to find out more about the materials stored in the museum.

If you are interested in or don’t understand anything in the reproduction exhibits on the first floor or the introductory exhibits on the second floor, you can rest assured that you will come here. You can also view data on materials that are not on display, which may be helpful for your studies or research.
(It depends on how busy it is, but if you have any questions about the materials, the curators will be happy to explain them to you.)

You can also try out old toys and everyday items such as kendama, menko, Matsukaze tops, abacus, and scales, and the benches can be used as a rest area. From the large windows, you can get a full view of Shinobazu Pond, making it a great spot to enjoy the seasonal changes of cherry blossoms, lotus flowers, and autumn leaves.

The Shitamachi Museum is a place where people of all ages, from children to the elderly, can make various discoveries and enjoy themselves. It has undergone a major transformation and has made a new start, but Kondo says that one thing it has inherited from the days of the Shitamachi Museum is the fact that visitors can hear real stories of their experiences from nowhere .

“The exhibits act as a catalyst for visitors to get excited as they recall their memories of the time, saying, ‘Oh, that happened!’ Or grandparents pass on knowledge gained from their own experiences to their grandchildren, and other visitors who hear this nod in agreement… We see scenes like this every day. You naturally hear valuable information that is not found in documents and can only be obtained from people who have actually experienced it. I think that is the greatest attraction of the main building,” says Kondo.

It’s a perfect location for a quick visit after a stroll around Shinobazu Pond, so why not stop by? Just like before the renovation, events such as street picture-story shows and traditional craft demonstrations will also be held, so please check the official website for details such as the schedule.

Overview of the Shitamachi Museum

Opening hours	9:30-16:30 (entry until 16:00)
Closed Days	Every Monday (or the following weekday if it falls on a public holiday), New Year’s holidays, special sorting periods, etc.
Admission fee	Adults: 300 yen (200 yen), elementary, junior high and high school students: 100 yen (50 yen) *Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.
location	2-1 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
access	3 minutes walk from Ueno Station on the Keisei Main Line 5 minutes walk from Ueno Station on the JR, Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines
phone	03-5846-8426
Official website	https://www.taitogeibun.net/shitamachi/

*The contents of this article are current as of the time of coverage. Please check the official website for the latest information.

View other reports

2025年4月11日2025年4月11日

“Resol Gallery Ueno” Artworks by Up-and-coming Artists Special Exhibition in April 2025 Seven works by artist Ishida Uyou will be exhibited at this exhibition

Tourist hotel "Hotel Resol Ueno" Art gallery in the living lobby "Resol Gallery Ueno"
Period: April 1st (Tue) to April 30th (Wed) Admission is free

Hotel Resol Ueno (7-2-9 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo), a tourist hotel under the Resol Hotels brand operated by Resol Co., Ltd., will be holding a special exhibition of seven works by artist Ishida Karayou in the art gallery in the living lobby, Resol Gallery Ueno, from Tuesday, April 1st to Wednesday, April 30th, 2025.

As part of Hotel Resol Ueno's efforts to create a hotel rooted in the Ueno area, where art and the downtown area are in harmony, the hotel began an initiative in February last year to use the art gallery in the living lobby, Resol Gallery Ueno, as a place to create opportunities for encounters between up-and-coming artists who will be spreading the culture of the future and traveling guests. Since then, the gallery has been enjoyed by not only guests but also the general public as a place to come into contact with the sensibilities and works of up-and-coming artists.

The seventh artist, Ishida Uyu, became a Senshafuda artist about five years ago after being approached by woodblock print carver and Senrei III Yusuke Sekioka. Since then, he has been very active, winning the Tokyo Exhibition Encouragement Award in 2019 and having his work selected for the National Exhibition twice, as well as the Adachi Ward Exhibition Adachi Ward Mayor's Award and the Ward Assembly Chairman's Award.

The works on display this time, such as "Nameplate Edo Santenno Festival" (2021) and "Edo Food" (2024), are vivid and evoke the energy of Edo, and follow the traditional process of creating nishiki-e prints from the Edo period. The artist draws the picture, the Edo calligraphy master writes the characters, the carver carves the ink lines and color blocks for each color into a hard cherry board, and the printer prints each piece onto Japanese paper, making this a culmination of many years of experience and skill. Please come and see the traditional woodblock prints.

At Risol Hotels, we will continue to weave irreplaceable travel stories through hotel operations that thoroughly meet the needs of all travelers (tourists).

Event Outline
Date: April 1st (Tuesday) – April 30th (Wednesday), 2025
Venue: Art Gallery "Resol Gallery Ueno" in the living lobby of Hotel Resol Ueno
Artist: Ishida Uyou
Admission fee: Free *People other than hotel guests are welcome to drop by.
Opening hours: [Hotel guests] 24 hours a day. / [Non-hotel guests] 10:00-20:00

Exhibited works:
"Osage slip Edo Santenno Festival"
(2021 Woodblock print, 8 volumes)
Planning: Toto nosappu Mutsumi / Carving: Sekioka Woodblock Print Studio / Calligraphy: Tachibana Utachibana / Illustration: Ishida Uyu

The "Tenno" in the Edo Santenno Festival refers to Gozu Tenno, the deity worshipped at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, who is a god who protects against epidemics and is considered to be the same entity as Susanoo.
During the Edo period, Kanda Myojin Shrine was dedicated to the sole deity, Taira no Masakado, but the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, divided the shrine into three, along with Gozu Tenno, a local deity whose deity was Susanoo. If you walk around the Kanda Myojin Shrine to the left, you will see the three shrines.
Ichinomiya was in charge of Minamidenmacho, Ninomiya was in charge of Odenmacho, and Sannomiya was in charge of Nihonbashi Kofunecho.
The festivals of these three shrines were the three major festivals of Edo and were enthusiastically enjoyed by the people of Edo.

One thing I'd like you to pay close attention to here is the flags at Odenmacho.
This is called "air printing" and instead of applying color, it is a printing method that creates a bumpy surface on the paper.

"Food of Edo"
(2024 Woodblock print, 8 pages)
Planning: Toto nosatsu Mutsumi / Carving: Sekioka Woodblock Print Studio / Calligraphy: Tachibana So / Illustration: Ishida Uyu

This series is all about Edo food.
In spring it's sushi, in summer it's rainbows and eels, in autumn it's the moon and tempura, and in winter it's snow and soba.
What exactly are oachars and senshafuda?
Name slips started out as name slips affixed to shrines and temples, with one's family name or name written on them, and gradually enthusiasts began exchanging their own slips. They play a role similar to the business card exchange of the Edo period.
Then, nameslip societies were formed and developed into a salon culture.

Spring: "Sushi" Summer: "Rainbow and eel" Autumn: "Tempura on the moon" Winter: "Snow and soba"

As ukiyo-e developed, multi-colored senshafuda began to be produced, and more elaborate tags were produced, with competition in color and design.
The Toto Nameplate Association was established in 1900 and continues to exist today as a social gathering place for nameslips and the preservation of Edo culture.

Profile: Uyuu Ishida

2019 Tokyo Exhibition Encouragement Award (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
Selected for JAM Open Exhibition
2021 Selected for the National Exhibition (The National Art Center, Tokyo)
2021 World Painting Grand Prix Exhibition Doshisha Award (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
Selected for the Power of Pictures and Words Exhibition (Matsuzakaya)
Adachi Ward Exhibition Adachi Ward Mayor Award, Ward Assembly Chairman Award
2022 Adachi Ward Exhibition Adachi Ward Mayor Award, Ward Assembly Chairman Award
Selected for the National Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo), etc.

About "Resol Gallery Ueno"
Resol Gallery Ueno, an art gallery located in the living lobby of Hotel Resol Ueno, exhibits a variety of artworks by up-and-coming artists that embody their passion and skills.
The artistic experience unique to Ueno, a city of academia, offers travelers a spice that is different from a simple hotel stay.
The gallery alternates between special and permanent exhibitions every other month, providing new discoveries and opportunities for growth every time you visit.

[About the special exhibition]
"Resol Gallery Ueno" provides a free gallery space for up-and-coming artists to exhibit their work.
We aim to create opportunities for customers to encounter a variety of artworks, such as "artworks that evoke the image of travel, travelers, or travel destinations," "artworks that evoke the culture, climate, and history of downtown areas," "artworks that evoke a sense of academicism," and "artworks that soothe the viewer's soul, provide new discoveries, and inspire them."

<Contact information for those interested in exhibiting>
Tel: 03-5325-9269 (Contact: Ito)
Email: ka.ito@resol.jp

[About the permanent exhibition]

(From left)
The Sun and the Moon (2020, Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on wooden panel, set of 2)
Panda (2020 Masaru Ishikawa and Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on resin figure)
EDO, rotated 90° (2020 Keita Shimizu, printed on canvas)
Ueno (2020 Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on wooden panel)

Profile: Keita Shimizu
Designer, design consultant
Born in Tokyo in 1974.
After graduating from the Master's program at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, he began working as a designer based in Milan.
His inclusive designs, born from the global values he developed during his childhood in the United States and his life as a designer in Italy, have been highly praised both in Japan and overseas. Recently, he has not only been involved in product design, but also in hotel concept development and corporate design.

Overview of "Hotel Resol Ueno"
◇Address: 7-2-9 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from JR Ueno Station, Asakusa Exit or Iriya Exit
◇Structure: Steel frame [10 floors above ground]
◇ Number of rooms: 115 rooms [107 Modernettes (semi-double) / 8 Twin rooms]
◇Official website: https://www.resol-hotel.jp/ueno/

[Resol Co., Ltd.] Press Release

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

See other exhibition information

2025年4月11日2025年4月11日

Ueno Park, Tokyo | The 46th Ueno Toshogu Shrine Spring Peony Festival will be held from Saturday, April 5th to Tuesday, May 6th, 2025

Ueno Toshogu Shrine

More than 500 plants of 110 varieties, including rare varieties such as "Zipangu" and "Shakudou no Kagayaki" and the unusual green "peony," will add color to the spring.

Ueno Toshogu Shrine (located in Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo), which was built as a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Yoshimune, and Tokugawa Yoshinobu, will be holding the Ueno Toshogu Shrine 46th Spring Peony Festival from Saturday, April 5th to Tuesday, May 6th, 2025.
During the event, we will be posting daily information about the flowers blooming on Instagram.
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utbotanen_official/
Please come and see the flowers change appearance every day in the warm weather.

More than 500 plants of 110 different species, including various varieties from around the world and green-flowering "Marimo"
During the event, over 500 "peony" varieties of 110 varieties developed in Japan, China, America, France, etc. will be in full bloom. In addition to red and pink peonies, you can also enjoy rare green-flowered "marimo" (marimo), a natural hybrid of Chinese and Japanese varieties.

[Inside the gardens (image from last year)]

Rare varieties available for viewing
[Zipangu]
Yellow peony with thousands of blossoms. Enjoy its elegant fragrance.

[Brilliance of red copper]
This is a very rare variety of peony with yellow pink-orange petals.

■What is "Peony"?
Peony flowers are considered a symbol of wealth and are known as the "flower of wealth" and the "king of flowers."
Peony, whose native species is found in China, is said to have been introduced to Japan from China as a medicinal plant during the Nara period, and since the Edo period, cultivation has flourished and many varieties have been created. In Chinese literature, the flower has been frequently written about in poetry since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (the early 8th century), and in Japanese literature, it is written about as a seasonal word in many haiku poems, and is a flower that has been familiar in paintings, patterns, and family crests.
In addition to Japan and China, varieties are also developed in the United States, France, and other countries.

Enjoy authentic Edo architecture including the five-story pagoda of the former Kan'ei-ji Temple and peonies
From within the grounds you can see the five-story pagoda of the former Kan'ei-ji Temple and the stone lanterns lining the approach to Toshogu Shrine, and together with the dry landscape Japanese garden you can view peonies in an Edo atmosphere that you can't find anywhere else.

■There are plenty of other photo spots!
We have colorful carp streamers that you can use to take seasonal photos together with peonies and other flowers, as well as flower arrangements and bonsai trees scattered throughout the garden.

■Flowers that bloom with peonies
In addition to peonies, rhododendrons and about 20 varieties of peonies bloom in turn within the garden, so there is something to see every day.

■Outline of the 46th Ueno Toshogu Shrine Spring Peony Festival
Period: Saturday, April 5, 2025 to Monday, May 6, 2025 *Open every day during the period
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (entry deadline)
Admission fee: Adults (junior high school students and above) 1,000 yen, groups (15 or more) 800 yen, session admission ticket 2,500 yen, free for elementary school students and younger
Address: 9-88 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
TEL: 03-3822-3575 (Peony Garden)
Access: 5 minutes walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station
5 minutes walk from the Ikenohata exit of Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Electric Railway
10 minutes walk from Exit 2 of Nezu Station on the Tokyo Metro

■ Ueno Toshogu Shrine Peony Garden
Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden was opened in April 1980 to commemorate friendship between Japan and China on the grounds of Ueno Toshogu Shrine, which enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu as its deity. Currently, 500 peonies of 110 varieties are cultivated in the spring, and 160 peonies of 40 varieties are cultivated in the winter. In addition, to allow more people to enjoy the seasonal flowers, 200 dahlias (also known as Tenjiku peonies) of 100 varieties are exhibited in the fall.
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Ueno is surrounded by lush greenery, so please take your time to enjoy the peonies while immersing yourself in the Edo atmosphere.

Address: 9-88 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
TEL: 03-3822-3575 (Peony Garden)
Access: 5 minutes walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station
5 minutes walk from the Ikenohata exit of Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Electric Railway
10 minutes walk from Exit 2 of Nezu Station on the Tokyo Metro
Official website: https://uenobotanen.com/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utbotanen_official/

[Toshogu Shrine] From the press release

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

See other exhibition information