Lotus Dreams, Painted Scenes and a few Pandas…

Tokyo - Ueno
9th September - 12 September

Our three-day adventure in Ueno was a delightful mix of nature, culture, and a touch of panda magic. We stayed right across from Shinobazuno Pond, a breathtaking sight completely covered in huge lotus plants as far as the eye could see - some as tall as Emma!

Ueno is famous for the Ueno Zoo, and the panda craze is everywhere! From plush toys to images on display, and even a giant curved 3D screen at the train station showing playful panda animations - check out the animations here.

Sadly, when we went to visit the zoo, the panda exhibit was closed :-(

Emma got a gachapon panda instead (toy from a capsule machine). See her collection of toys here.

We wandered through Ameyoko Shopping Street, sampling all sorts of Japanese treats along the way. The famous convenience store egg sandwich was a must-try, and it definitely did not disappoint. Every corner seemed to offer something new, from snacks to souvenirs.

We visited the National Museum of Western Art, housed in the iconic Le Corbusier building. Em was especially in awe of the French Impressionist exhibition which included Monet’s original Water Lilies which seemed o”on theme” forn the week.

Emma got into the spirit of travel journaling and started collecting eki stamps in her new stamp book - you can check them out here.

She also picked up another book to collect goshuin, making our Ueno adventure both visually and spiritually memorable. The start of her goshuin collection is here.

From lotus-covered ponds to panda-themed surprises, bustling streets to timeless masterpieces, Ueno was an enchanting start to our Japan journey.