A broad lotus pond at the foot of Ueno’s hill, divided by causeways into a boating lake, a cormorant sanctuary and a bed of lotus so dense that in summer the water disappears under leaves the size of umbrellas. On an island in the middle stands Benten-do, a hexagonal temple to the goddess of music and luck, rebuilt in 1958 and still hung with lanterns.
The pond rewards a slow lap, roughly two kilometres, with the Ueno skyline on one side and old Shitamachi houses on the other. In winter it fills with migrating ducks; in summer the lotus is one of the great sights of the city. The temple hall is free, and the fortune-tellers on the approach are part of the scenery.
Tips
- Lotus flowers open in the early morning in July and August and close by noon, so come before 8:00
- Swan pedal boats on the western section are cheap and absurd and the best way to see Benten-do from the water
- The food stalls lining the causeway to the temple run most weekends