Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Tokyo Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station
AO Edited

Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station

Take a few seconds to look at this abandoned, art-filled station as you pass by on the subway to Ueno.

Tokyo, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The iconic graffiti art of the penguins.   Cassiopeia Sweet / Public Domain
White Rabbit sculpture in Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station   Nesnad / CC BY 4.0
The museum-side exit, seen from the side.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The zoo-side exit, now used as a museum storehouse.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The platform of the station in 1997.   Cassiopeia Sweet / Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Tokyo’s Ueno district is a popular tourist spot known for its zoo, museums, Buddhist temples and open-air market. To serve travelers visiting the area, Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen (meaning “Museum-Zoo”) Station opened in 1933, located on the edge of Ueno Park.

The station had two aboveground exits. One of them, located near the Tokyo National Museum, was designed by the architect Shunji Nakagawa in a Western style resembling the National Diet Building. The other was built next to the Ueno Zoo, but closed in 1966 following the opening of the zoo’s new entrance. It was then turned into a storage facility for the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Even during its days of operation, the station was dark and dusty with a haikyo (abandoned building)-like ambience. Its platform was narrow, and its bare concrete walls were eventually covered all over with illicit art. A few pieces of such graffiti, including those of penguins and an elephant—which are said to have been drawn by a student of the nearby Tokyo University of the Arts—have became the station’s icons of sorts.

The decrepit state of the station and the constant decline in passengers (less than 250 people getting off at the station per day) led to its suspension of service in 1997, followed by its abandonment seven years later. It was renovated as a museum space and reopened for a limited time in 2018, with a new, Alice in Wonderland-esque art installation of a giant rabbit introduced to it, and there were brief openings in 2019 and 2020 as well.

Today, you can take the Keisei Line train to take a look at the abandoned station’s platform for a few seconds as it enters a tunnel, the eerily-lit white rabbit sculpture still standing inside.

Related Tags

Transportation Train Stations Abandoned Art Outside

Know Before You Go

The platform can be viewed on the Keisei Line subway, between Nippori and Ueno. When going from Nippori to Ueno, it will appear on the left, almost as soon as the train enters a tunnel. It is not accessible even when the station is open to the public.

It is not known when it will reopen again, but when it does, be sure to book in advance (if possible) or get there early, as tickets could sell out fast.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 10, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station
13-23 Uenokoen
Taito City
Tokyo, 110-0007
Japan
35.71867, 139.773504
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Hideyo Noguchi Statue

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Arima Family Plot

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 220
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Hideyo Noguchi Statue

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Arima Family Plot

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 220
Stories 13

Related Places

  • Obihiro, Japan

    Kofuku Train Station

    On an abandoned railway line, "happiness" station is still a popular destination for lovers.

  • View from above, on the entrance and driveway

    Houyet, Belgium

    Halte Royal d'Ardenne

    The private train station King Leopold II built for the Belgian royal family now lies abandoned.

  • Twin cabin at ground level in village of Barèges.

    Barèges, France

    Ayré Barèges Funicular

    The remains of an abandoned funicular railway that once ferried skiers and hikers to great heights in the Pyrenees.

  • Utulei, American Samoa

    Abandoned Mt. Alava Aerial Tramway

    The site of abandoned cable car system provides expansive views of Tutuila and nearby capital Pago Pago.

  • Verviers, Belgium

    Verviers Station's Comical Hare and Tortoise Bas-relief

    A humorous work of art making fun of the station's very long construction time.

  • De Berenkuil

    Eindhoven, Netherlands

    De Berenkuil

    A bike traffic circle showcasing the works of local graffiti artists.

  • Sheffield, England

    The Industry Looping Boat

    Floating on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal is a contorted canal boat that honors the waterway’s heritage.

  • Shinagawa Station in the 21st Century

    Tokyo, Japan

    Shinagawa Station

    Japan's first train station is also the site of Godzilla's first destructive visit to the nation.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.