Ueno Park--Tokyo

On Sunday we visited Ueno Park.  It is kind of like the Central Park of Tokyo.  We rode the subway, and then walked through the park.  When we first entered we saw Kiyomizu Kannon Temple.

Notice how the shrine has a big balcony on it?  From that balcony, I took a picture of this amazing tree growing in a circle.  I've never seen anything like that in Wyoming!

Ueno Park has temples, shrines, amusement parks, street performers, a zoo, and several museums.  After the temple, we visited this shrine with all the lantern posts out front.

Look at this long line of bronze lanterns along both sides of the path toward the shrine.

After walking up the long path, this shrine was at the end.

Also, there was a woman performing some traditional Japanese songs.  I took these pictures, but I do not know what kind of instrument she is playing.  Perhaps you can ask Mr. Wilson.  I bet he would know.  Look at that big piece of wood (at least that's what I think it was) that she is using to strum the strings.

The park has an amusement park with kids' rides and a zoo.  The zoo has had giant pandas since 1972, but in 2008 the last panda died.  The attendance at the zoo dropped drastically, but in 2011 they were able to get two other giant pandas.  The lines were so long when we were there that we wouldn't have had any time to see any animals after we got in the gates!