The district of Ueno functions as a major transport hub and a concentrated centre for culture and commerce. Its core is Ueno Park, a spacious public ground that contains several major institutions. These include the Ueno Zoo, the Tokyo National Museum with its comprehensive Japanese collection, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the National Museum of Western Art. South of the station, the Ameya-Yokochō market street presents a different atmosphere. This crowded street with covered alleyways started as a post-war black market, and now features vendors selling seafood, clothing and spices.

The Basilica of San Clemente is more than a simple church; it is a real museum that houses layers and layers of history. Behind the humble doors of this 12th-century church lie the remnants of the original basilica dating back to the 4th century, the remains of a 1st-century Roman villa, and breathtaking Byzantine mosaics beautifully adorning the ceiling.

This church features two distinct architectural styles: Gothic and Baroque. Estimated to date from the late 15th or early 16th century, the most valuable piece of this church is the stone situated in the facade — this is dedicated to the holy martyrs buried here. The interior is full of artistic treasures such as The Main Baroque Altarpiece, baroque sculptures representing the Immaculate Conception, and a 17th century wood carving attributed to La Roldana.

Set in what used to be the country retreat for Pope Julius III, the Etruscan museum in Rome stores some impressive artefacts of the mysterious Etruscan and pre-Roman treasures. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses depicting a reclining man and woman on its lid is the masterpiece here and a true example of art from the 6th century BC.