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Shinobazu Pond Review

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Shinobazu Pond

Address: Shinobazu-dori, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Category: Bodies of Water
Location: Taito-ku

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Fodor's Review:

Shinobazu was once an inlet of Tokyo Bay. When the area was reclaimed, it became a freshwater pond. Abbot Tenkai, founder of Kan-ei-ji on the hill above the pond, had an island made in the middle of it, which he built for Benzaiten the goddess of the arts. Later improvements included a causeway to the island, embankments, and even a racecourse (1884-93). Today the pond is in three sections. The first, with its famous lotus plants, is a wildlife sanctuary. Some 5,000 wild ducks migrate here from as far away as Siberia, sticking around from September to April. The second section, to the north, belongs to Ueno Zoo; the third, to the west, is a small lake for boating.

Cost: Free
Open: Daily sunrise-sunset
Subway: JR Ueno Station (Koen-guchi/Park Exit); Keisei private rail line, Keisei-Ueno Station (Higashi-guchi/East Exit)

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