If Visiting Ueno Park On Sundays,  Stop by at “Sogaudo of The Former Tokyo Music School” to Enjoy the Performance by Japan’s Oldest Pipe Organ

“Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School” is located in the north of Ueno Park, Tokyo. It’s designated as an Important Cultural Property and the traditional place that Rentaro Taki, known for ‘Moon over the castle ‘ played in the music hall on the 2nd floor. It’s worth seeing just looking at the building, but visiting it on “the 2nd and 4th Sunday is recommended because you can listen to a performance with the oldest pipe organ.

“Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School” was built in 1890 as the school building of Tokyo Music School which used to be the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Rentaro Taki was also one of the students at this school. He seemed to play piano in the music hall on the 2nd floor. In addition, Kosaku Yamada, famous for its ‘Aka-Tonbo’ is also a graduate of this school. The school building that produced many musicians was designated as Important Cultural Property in 1988 as the oldest western music hall in Japan. It’s open to the public as ‘Living Heritage’.

Also, another point besides the quaint building is the rare pneumatic action pipe organ in front of the 2nd-floor music hall. Yorisada Tokugawa who was a politician and well-versed in music bought it in England in 1920 and she donated it to Tokyo Music School in 1928. The number of pipes is 1,379 and it seems that the pipe organ is the oldest one in Japan used for concerts. Concerts with pipe organs by students of the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, so please check them out. You can spend time surrounded by happy and warm sounds with a pipe organ, which has transcended time for more than 100 years.