Satoru Kitago: A Monumental Tour of Ueno

Nestled directly next to Ueno Park, Ueno Station is a bustling terminal that has provided access to the neighborhood since opening in 1883. With rails stretching all the way to the Tohoku region in the northeast, the station is overlooked by many commuters, seen as a transit point rather than a destination unto itself. Little do they know that Ueno Station boasts an impressive collection of public art that rivals even the nearby museums. Together with sculptor Satoru Kitago, we explored the many monuments that can be found in Ueno, starting right out of the Ueno Station gates.

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

After exiting the central gates, take a right through the concourse to find a statue of a young woman with outstretched arms. Designed by Fumio Asakura, the statue is frequently used as an unmissable place to rendezvous.

“There are two schools of sculpture: figurative and abstract. Fumio Asakura went a step beyond the figurative as a proponent of realism, faithfully depicting his models. This statue immortalized a plain and ordinary young Japanese woman.”

The woman’s arms would seem to evoke the titular “Tsubasa” (“Wings”).

“I think there are multiple ways to read this sculpture. Note how the woman is facing the central gates. Raising one’s hands high into the air has the meaning of beckoning or leading someone through a space. The gesture could be an invitation to pass through the gates. The sculpture has a lively, welcoming presence.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

When exiting the central gates, look up to see a triangular mural cradled flush within the station’s cathedral ceiling. Titled “Jiyu" (“Freedom”), the mural was created in 1951 by painter Genichiro Inokuma.

“The postwar era was a time of liberation, in many senses of the word. I feel this mural is quite meaningful in how it sends a message of ‘freedom’ to the people from Tohoku as they arrive in Ueno with a mix of uncertainty and hope,” Kitago explained.

The mural depicts idyllic tropes of the Tohoku region, from the horses that occupy the center of the work, to the apple-picking women to the sides, and bathers relaxing in hot springs.

“In the fine art vernacular, horses denote an epoch. The combination of horses and people functions as a poignant commentary on how people ought to live along with the era. As you can see, the horses are frolicking freely, and the people are depicted enjoying a slow, relaxed life. I think it's a very hopeful work. The color palette is also sublime."

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

Take the Shinobazu Exit and climb the staircase next to Keisei Ueno Station. Upon reaching Ueno Park, the first person to greet you will be the great samurai Takamori Saigo, cast in bronze.

“This monument was commissioned to honor Saigo’s efforts in the Boshin War, some of whose heaviest battles were fought here in Ueno. The statue is the work of Koun Takamura, who was a contemporary of Saigo and was teaching at the Tokyo Fine Arts School at the time.

Around the same period, Koun Takamura led another team in realizing the statue of a horse-mounted Masashige Kusunoki that stands in front of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Both statues are said to have been made with material from the Besshi copper mine in Ehime Prefecture, which celebrated its 200^th anniversary in 1891.

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

“In Europe, monuments are typically made by making a clay mold and then using plaster casts that are coated in wax, which melts away when they add the molten bronze. But Koun Tamakura was a master wooden sculptor, versed in traditional techniques, who was known for his Buddhist icons. As such, Takamura molded the sculpture directly from a wooden model, innovating a native approach to bronze work based on ancient Japanese methods. He carved the base wooden model using blades, giving the finished statue much crisper detail than you would see with the European casting technique. The fluttering hem of Saigo’s garment and the intricate strands of cord at his waist are absolutely superb.”

The original wooden model was once stored at a temple in Kagoshima Prefecture, but was destroyed in an air raid during World War II.

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

Proceeding along the cherry-tree-lined promenade through Ueno Park, we arrived at a signboard on the left announcing the “Ueno Daibutsu.” But at least from the bottom of the little hill, the Daibutsu — or “Giant Buddha” — was nowhere to be seen. As Kitago said cryptically, “The Ueno Daibutsu is no longer what it used to be.”

Once we reached the top of the staircase it became clear what he meant. All that remains of the Ueno Daibutsu is the Buddha’s face.

“The monument’s head fell off during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. It depends on the technique, but Daibutsu heads are not perfectly balanced. Some portions are thicker than others, so the metal is prone to crack under its own weight when it sways in an earthquake, ultimately toppling to the ground. This is always an issue with Buddhist statues — they’re prone to losing their heads.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori IgarAashi (WISH)

The first Ueno Daibutsu was constructed in 1631 by Naoyori Hori, a samurai who was the lord of Murakami Castle in Echigo Province, for the repose of souls lost in battle. Made of plaster, the original statue featured a seated Shaka Nyorai, but was destroyed by an earthquake not long after completion. A gilt bronze statue erected in its place was also lost after yet another earthquake and fire in the 19th century.

“Photos of the Daibutsu still exist from the late Edo period, when Ueno’s hill was entirely occupied by the Kaneiji Temple complex. Imagine the Daibutsu on the temple grounds, like the five-story pagoda that stills exists today.”

After the Meiji-era Daibutsu lost its head in the 1923 earthquake, there was talk of rebuilding, but plans to rebuild were ultimately scrapped during the war amid metal shortages. The statue’s body and most of its head were melted down, leaving only the Buddha’s face.

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

“But as you can see, there’s still something special about what remains,” said Kitago as he paid his respects, peering closely at the sacrosanct face. “Interesting, the nose might have been a later addition,” he noted. Perhaps the nose was repaired after the 1923 earthquake, which also left scars on the Buddha’s right cheek.

“The Daibutsu has become a popular pilgrimage site among students studying for their entrance exams, the reasoning being that there are few ways to fail more spectacularly than the Daibutsu.”

The Buddha is surrounded by rectangular wooden ema plaques bearing wishes for good luck, swaying in the wind alongside cherry blossom-shaped ema with success messages from students who passed their exams.

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

We headed back down the hill and continued along the cherry-lined path in the direction of the Tokyo National Museum. After a short walk, we intersected with the path leading straight from JR Ueno Station’s Park Exit to the Ueno Zoo, towered over by a stately equestrian statue.

“The statue was designed by Ujihiro Okuma, who graduated from the Technical Fine Arts School, which was founded a decade before the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. After studying Wesstern techniques under the Italian sculptor Vincenzo Ragusa, Okuma went on to train abroad in France. Whereas wooden sculpture dominated the curriculum at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts with Koun Takamura and other masters on the faculty, the Technical Fine Arts School placed an emphasis on mold-making. This statue is an example of the Western approach, modeled with clay and then cast in bronze.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

“It’s interesting to compare this monument to Takamura’s statue of Kusunoki in front of the Imperial Palace. Although both are equestrian-themed, and both were completed around the same time, they were still realized with very different techniques. Did you notice how Okuma’s statue is not quite as sharp as the wood-carved Takamori Saigo statue?”

Ujihiro also designed the statue of Masujiro Omura that stands outside the Yasukuni Shrine, which is credited as Japan’s first Western-style bronze monument. The monuments show how the differences between the competing schools of sculpture in Japan were already firmly entrenched by that time.

“Evidently, Masujiro Omura’s equestrian monument is positioned to stare down the Saigo statue. Though there’s surely more to the story. ”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

The National Museum of Western Art, located to the right of JR Ueno Station’s Park Exit. It's a few minutes’ walk from the Statue of Prince Komatsu Akihito. The nucleus of the museum’s holdings comes from the Matsukata Collection, amassed by businessman Kojiro Matsukata over a series of European sojourns spanning nearly a decade from 1916. Designed by the great master of modernist architecture Le Corbusier, the museum was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. Even before entering the galleries, visitors are able to enjoy the masterpieces of modern sculpture by Rodin and others in forecourt of the building.


Right:  Auguste Rodin, The Gates of Hell  c. 1880-1890 / 1917(model), 1930-1933(cast） Matsukata Collection
Left: Émile-Antoine Bourdelle, Hercules the Archer 1909(model)
Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.)

Based on an incident in the 14th century, during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, “The Burghers of Calais” depicts the raw anguish, fear, and willing self-sacrifice of a group of six town leaders of the city of Calais who voluntarily went into the England as hostages.

“Each figure represents an emotion. It’s quite difficult to bring this range of different poses together into one work, yet Rodin succeeded in putting together a larger natural whole. The nuanced relationships between the figures interact exquisitely with the surrounding space, to breathtaking effect.”


Auguste Rodin, Burghers of Calais 1884-1888(model), 1953(cast)
Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.)

Preparatory work for "The Gates of Hell” led Rodin to create a number of variations of the theme, including “The Thinker.”

“Rodin may have been inspired by Michelangelo’s ceiling painting for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, which include a depiction of Adam crouched over in a similar pose.”

The sculpture that sits in forecourt of the museum was cast in heroic proportions, and the museum house the original casting as part of the Matsukata Collection.

“It seems Rodin felt it was one of his most important works. They say that upon his death, the original model was even put on display at his funeral.”


Rodin originally designed “The Thinker” as the centerpiece of his doorway surround, “The Gates of Hell, “based on “The Divine Comedy” of Italian poet and statesman Dante Alighieri.
Auguste Rodidin, The Thinker (Enlarged), 1881-82(model), 1902-03(enlarged), 1926(cast) Matsukata Collection
Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

“Although primarily based on Dante’s “Inferno," the work incorporates elements from other plays and sources that went on to influence Rodin over the a long time that he continued to work on the project.”

“The Thinker" can be seen looking down on Hell from its central perch atop the door panels. “The Gates of Hell” was commissioned by the French government for installation at the entrance to their planned the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. However, the gates were ultimately not cast until after Rodin’s death.


Commissioned in 1880, this monumental work, measuring 540 cm high by 390 cm wide and 100 cm deep, was never cast in bronze during Rodin’s lifetime. Currently, eight bronze editions exist throughout the world, including the one held at the National Museum of Western Art. 
Auguste Rodin, "The Gates of Hell,” c. 1880-1890/1917(model), 1930-1933(cast) Matsukata Collection
Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.)

Kitago said the muscular figure rearing back to release his bow is a masterful study in chiseled tension.

“This work by Bourdelle is extremely powerful. Bourdelle worked in Rodin’s studio, but developed his own unique style with an approach that's different from his mentor’s, as you can see in the rippling muscles and footing in mythology. All artists want to find an original voice of their own. The same was true of my students at the Tokyo University of the Arts.”


Bourdelle found international acclaim with "Hercules the Archer,” inspired by the exploits of Hercules from Greek mythology.
Émile-Antoine Bourdelle, Hercules the Archer  1909(model)
Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.)

Passing the fountain in the direction of the Sogakudo concert hall, Kitago pointed out a statue of Dr. A.F. Bauduin, the “Father of Ueno Park,” that stands quietly in the middle of a branching path.

“I highly recommend this statue to anyone with an interest in the history of Ueno Park. At the start of the Meiji era, there was talk of building a hospital on Ueno’s hill. After visiting to inspect the site, Dr. Bauduin evidently suggested that the area be used for a park, instead. This suggestion led to the creation of Ueno Park as the first public park in Japan. At that time, the concept of a ‘public park’ was rather unheard of in Japan. If it weren’t for the doctor, Ueno Park likely wouldn’t exist.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

A first statue was produced in the Bauduin’s native Netherlands, but it subsequently came to light that the sculptor had mistakenly modeled the figure after a photo of the doctor’s brother. A replacement bust was created in 2006 by the sculptor Shozo Hayashi, bearing the inscription, “F. Bauduin” on the reverse.

“I used to pass by every day when I was still on the faculty at the Tokyo University of the Arts, but I overlooked this sculpture for the longest time. I hope it gets the attention it deserves. I suspect it’s also well cared for, as it always seems to be polished and in mint condition. Perhaps the upkeep is an act of love and filial piety to the father of Ueno Park.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

We concluded our tour at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Pass through the entrance to the Fine Arts campus, and immediately off to the right you will find a hexagonal pavilion next to the university art museum with a statue of Tenshin Okakura.

A leading art critic and intellectual in his day, Okakura was a driving force behind the development of Japanese arts in the Meiji era. Okakura was also a principal founder of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, the predecessor to the Tokyo University of the Arts.

“At a time when intellectuals were turning their backs on traditional Japanese culture, Okakura published “The Book of Tea” in New York, of all places. He was a voice who shared Japanese culture and Eastern philosophy with the wider world. Okakura was a true visionary who made the university what it is today.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)

One of the last disciples of Tenshin Okakura, sculptor Denchu Hirakushi would himself go on to become a professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts. This sculpture of Okakura depicts how the idiosyncratic mentor is said to have commuted to campus on horseback, wearing clothing of his own design.

“Denchu lived to the ripe old age of 107. They say he was still buying wood for his sculptures as a centenarian. He was a man with an unbridled creative impulse.”

The statue is an earnest tribute to the mentor who helped launch Denchu’s long life in the arts.

“To this day, Tenshin Okakura remains a symbolic figure for the Tokyo University of the Arts. The next time you visit the university’s museum, I encourage you to stop by the statue.”

Photo: Hiroyuki Matsuzaki (INTO THE LIGHT inc.), Kazunori Igarashi (WISH)