October 12, 2007 - Tokyo - Ueno - Museum of Western Art and Zoo addition to the famous and beautiful park, Ueno is considered a great cultural center. In addition to the TNM , which I have already spoken in the western area of \u200b\u200bthe park you can find a great Zoo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum while in the east, not far from Ueno station , there are the Museum of Western Art and National Science Museum .
Since it is literally impossible to visit all in one day, we had to make a choice, opting for the Zoo and the Museum of Western art. Spending a little time out we did not mind, and I must say that I was never a big fan of science museums, so the choice was pretty simple.
Sorry a bit to the Metropolitan, but after an overdose of Asian art and archeology, change a little context was what we wanted to alleviate this "day at the museums."
The zoo is very big and there is so much different species, some (but not all) in places quite large and comfortable, however, does not have very distinctive compared to other zoos around the world. Deserve a note typically eastern species, such as the so-called Red Panda (photo by Faith
).
Searching on wikipedia, I also discovered that this animal is also called Chinese "Fox Fire" ^ ^.
Another species is rather curious that Japanese Wolf. No offense to native species, which gave the world, including dogs, breeds such as the exceptional Shiba el ' Akita, the Japanese wolf seemed a bit of a pet and mangy shabby.
Perhaps he suffered captivity, but the expression is indeed sad.
Near the exit of the zoo (well, one of many), after a short walk along the shore of the pond Shinobazu there is a small temple dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten , a small pagoda on a strip of land within Lake, rebuilt in 1957 after the previous building was destroyed by air raids during World War II.
The temple is quite small and nestled in a tranquil setting, between rows of trees and the lotus that grows near the shore of the lake.
the way back to Ueno station is the National Museum of Western Art, or NWWA. It was founded in the 60s around the private collection of Matsuka Kojiro , is a small but fascinating collection of pieces of Western art, mostly Italian, Flemish and French. Although the museum is famous mostly for the gate of hell and thinker of Rodin (which is dedicated an entire room), there are works equally elegant but less famous.
I would advise a beautiful piece of art "Counter" as the Mater Dolorosa of Carlo Dolci.
works and more "modern", from Monet's Waterloo Bridge, the works - although smaller - of Picasso and Pollock .
least two hours of pleasant entertainment and detachment from the pure Japanese atmosphere
And here's what you will be received when you arrive at the NMWA. The photo does not make the atmosphere of anxiety in this masterpiece of French, a sort of dark legacy of stiacciato Donatello and the door of the Baptistery of Florence (" Gates of Paradise") of Ghiberti , with figures painful inspired by Dante , which rise with difficulty from a black bronze. It seems that Rodin, in bronze this, has really picked up the best of the two rival masters of the fifteenth century.
