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The Birthplace of Ekiden at Ueno Shinobazu Pond: Japan's First Tokaido Relay

On the shore of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno stands the Ekiden Monument, marking the finish of Japan's first ekiden — the 1917 Tokaido Ekiden foot race from Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto to Ueno. This article traces the origin of the ekiden and a walking course of Ueno Park's historic sites around the monument.

Contents

MOKUJI

What is the Birthplace of Ekiden at Ueno Shinobazu Pond

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Why did Ueno Shinobazu Pond become the finish of the ekiden

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The origin of the word "ekiden"

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Historic Ueno sites to visit with the Ekiden Monument

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Frequently Asked Questions

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On the shore of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park, Tokyo, stands a quiet monument known as the Ekiden Monument. In short, this is the birthplace of the ekiden — the finish line of Japan’s very first long-distance relay race. In 1917, runners who set off from Sanjo Ohashi bridge in Kyoto arrived here at Ueno’s Shinobazu Pond after three days. This article traces the history of that first ekiden, the Tokaido Ekiden foot race, and offers a walking course around the monument through Ueno Park’s historic sites.

The Ekiden Monument on the shore of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, marking the finish of Japan's first ekiden, the Tokaido Ekiden foot race

What is the Birthplace of Ekiden at Ueno Shinobazu Pond

Where is the Ekiden Monument

The Ekiden Monument stands on the shore of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Onshi Park. A circular plate set into black granite depicts two runners with the words “the history of ekiden begins here.” It is within walking distance of JR Ueno Station, right beside Shinobazu Bentendo, standing quietly against the lotus-covered pond. Easily overlooked amid the busy park, it is a landmark in the history of Japanese sport.

What the monument tells us about Japan’s first ekiden

The plate clearly records the outline of Japan’s first ekiden. According to it, the nation’s first ekiden was the Tokaido Ekiden foot race, held to mark the Grand Exposition Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Transfer of the Capital. It took place over three days on April 27, 28, and 29 in 1917 (Taisho 6). The start was Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto, and the finish was here, at the main gate of the exposition at Ueno’s Shinobazu Pond. The monument itself serves as a primary source, conveying an event of about a century ago.

Why did Ueno Shinobazu Pond become the finish of the ekiden

Shinobazu Pond covered in lotus with Bentendo hall; the 1917 Tokaido Ekiden finished at the exposition's main gate here

The 50th-anniversary exposition and the Tokaido Ekiden

1917 marked 50 years since Emperor Meiji moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo. The Grand Exposition held in Ueno to commemorate this anniversary featured, as one of its highlights, a long-distance relay along the old Tokaido road, organized by the Yomiuri Shimbun: the Tokaido Ekiden foot race. It is said to have been an unprecedented event in which two teams, one from the Kanto region and one from Kansai, ran roughly 500 kilometers from Kyoto to Tokyo while passing a sash (tasuki) from runner to runner.

Three days from Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto to Ueno

The runners started from Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto and ran day and night, following the post towns of the Tokaido. Many roads were unpaved at the time, and reaching Ueno in three days was a grueling course. The table below summarizes the first ekiden as recorded by the monument.

Item

Details

Name

Tokaido Ekiden foot race

Year

April 27–29, 1917 (Taisho 6)

Route

Sanjo Ohashi, Kyoto – Shinobazu Pond, Ueno

Distance

About 500 kilometers

Occasion

50th-anniversary commemorative exposition

The origin of the word “ekiden”

A name born from the ancient post system

The word “ekiden” is said to have been used as the name of a race for the first time at this Tokaido Ekiden foot race. The name derives from the ancient Japanese transport system called the ekisei (post-station system). In the Ritsuryo era, stations (umaya) were placed at intervals along the highways, where horses and people were relayed to carry information and goods. The image of passing a sash to the next runner recalled this ancient system, and so the race was named “ekiden.” A word now beloved as a New Year tradition spread from this spot at Ueno Shinobazu Pond.

The dawn of the Japanese marathon

The Tokaido Ekiden foot race is said to have included athletes who pioneered the early days of the Japanese marathon. Among them, Shiso Kanakuri, who competed as a marathon representative at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, is known as the “father of the Japanese marathon” and later helped found the Hakone Ekiden. From Japan’s first ekiden to the Hakone Ekiden and the New Year tradition we know today, the starting point was here in Ueno.

Historic Ueno sites to visit with the Ekiden Monument

The golden hall of Ueno Toshogu, a historic Ueno Park site to visit alongside the Ekiden Monument

The Ueno Park area where the monument stands was, in the Edo period, the vast precinct of Kaneiji. After visiting the monument, it is well worth touring the historic sites gathered within walking distance.

Shinobazu Bentendo and Kaneiji

Shinobazu Bentendo, standing right beside the monument, is a hall of Benzaiten built by the high priest Tenkai on the island of Shinobazu Pond, modeled on Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa. Its head temple, Kaneiji, flourished as the funerary temple of the Tokugawa shoguns. The view of the lotus pond and Bentendo is the very scenery that watched over the ekiden’s finish.

Shinobazu Bentendo near the Ekiden Monument, a Benzaiten hall built by the priest Tenkai on the pond's island

Ueno Toshogu and Kiyomizu Kannon-do

Ueno Toshogu, with its dazzling golden hall, is a gem of early-Edo architecture enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu. From Kiyomizu Kannon-do, a stage-style hall modeled on Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera, you can view Shinobazu Pond through the famous “Moon Pine.” Together with Gojo Tenjin Shrine, which enshrines the deity of learning, Ueno Park is an area to enjoy a full day of historical strolling.

Shinobazu Pond seen through the Moon Pine of Kiyomizu Kannon-do, a stage-style hall modeled on Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera

Tips for visiting and strolling

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The Ekiden Monument is near Shinobazu Bentendo; lotus is best in July–August

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Just a short walk from Ueno and Keisei-Ueno stations, easy to tour even in the rain

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Bentendo, Toshogu, and Kiyomizu Kannon-do are a few minutes apart within the park

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Collecting goshuin or stamps along the way makes a fine memento

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Birthplace of Ekiden monument?

The Ekiden Monument is on the shore of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Onshi Park, near Shinobazu Bentendo. It is about a 5–10 minute walk from JR Ueno or Keisei-Ueno Station, standing against the lotus-covered pond.

When was Japan’s first ekiden held?

According to the monument, Japan’s first ekiden, the Tokaido Ekiden foot race, was held over three days from April 27 to 29, 1917 (Taisho 6). It ran from Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto to Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, marking the 50th anniversary of the transfer of the capital.

Why is it called “ekiden”?

The name “ekiden” is said to derive from the ancient Japanese post-station system (ekisei). Modeled on the old system of relaying horses and people at highway stations, the long-distance relay of passing a sash was named this way.

What spots can I visit with the Ekiden Monument in Ueno Park?

Shinobazu Bentendo, Kaneiji, Ueno Toshogu, and Kiyomizu Kannon-do are all within walking distance. The Shitamachi Museum, conveying the history of old Edo, is also recommended.

Last updated: June 5, 2026

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Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.

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