Ueno Neighborhood 
See also: 
Parks & Gardens: Ueno Park
Shrines & Temples: Toshogu Shrine
Ueno was originally a temple town, located on the outskirts of Edo adjacent to historic Kaneiji Temple, and a post station of the Oshu-kaido. Midway through the Meiji era, in 1883, Ueno became the Tokyo terminus of the northern railway, connecting the capital with the provinces and cities of north Honshu. Even in the Edo era, Ueno Hirokoji (main street) was an important thoroughfare for business; modernization brought a wider boulevard and larger, Western-style stores, including Matsuzakaya, to the district, and, just to the north, the collection.
(Above:) The Ueno Hirokoji, Tokyo. The Ueno Park plaza, ca. 1905, fronting the park entrance. Moden development was not slow in arriving, as evidenced by the image below.
(Above:) Ueno Broadway, from Northwest, Tokyo. A view, ca. 1910, of Ueno Hirokoji. In the distance can be seen the tower arches of the Matsuzakaya department store, long a landmark of the district.
(Above:) Ueno-Hirokoji Tokyo. Ueno Hirokoji was one of the original stops when Tokyo's first electric trolley Route #1 was established in 1903 between Shinagawa and Ueno Station. This ca. 1905 image looks north across the plaza toward the Ueno Park entrance. To the right of the trolley can be seen an early version of a koban, a neighborhood police box, at which one or two policeman would be stationed throughout the day.
(Above:) The Ueno Hirokoji Tokyo. A ca. 1915 view of Ueno Hirokoji, looking northward toward the park entrance. On the right is the Matsuzakaya department store; to the left can be seen Shinobazu Pond. In the distance, just above tree level, is Ueno's Five-Story Pagoda.
(Above:) Matsuzakaya (Department Store) Tokyo. A pre-1923 view of Matsuzakaya and its neighboring storefronts. All of this lively, ornate architecture would be lost in the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake.
(Above:) Ueno Station, Tokyo. Three different types of rail transportation converge here at Ueno in this ca. 1927 image. In the background is Ueno Station, terminal for travel to Japan's northern cities and provinces. In the foreground can be seen streetcars, and entrances for Tokyo's then-new subway line between Ueno and Asakusa, opened in 1927. (The subway line would be extended to Nihonbashi and Ginza in 1932.) The treeline at the top of the image locates Ueno Park.