Gojo Tenjin Shrine in Ueno Park is an ancient shrine said to have originated during Yamato Takeru's eastern expedition. Enshrining both the medicine deities Okuninushi and Sukunahikona and the learning deity Sugawara no Michizane, it offers blessings for health and academic success. Visit this tranquil shrine by Shinobazu Pond.

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.

Ueno Daibutsu is a face relief of Shakyamuni Buddha that survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Believed to never fall again, it draws students praying for exam success. The Pagoda behind it enshrines Yakushi Nyorai. Managed by Kaneiji Temple, this is one of Ueno's hidden sacred sites.