Zoo Spots in Japan

Area

Japan
- Japan
- Hokkaido / Tohoku
  
  Hokkaido
  
  Aomori
  
  Iwate
  
  Miyagi
  
  Akita
  
  Yamagata
  
  Fukushima
- Kanto
  
  Ibaraki
  
  Tochigi
  
  Gunma
  
  Saitama
  
  Chiba
  
  Tokyo
  
  Kanagawa
- Koshinetsu / Hokuriku
  
  Niigata
  
  Toyama
  
  Ishikawa
  
  Fukui
  
  Yamanashi
  
  Nagano
- Tokai
  
  Gifu
  
  Shizuoka
  
  Aichi
  
  Mie
- Kinki
  
  Shiga
  
  Kyoto
  
  Osaka
  
  Hyogo
  
  Nara
  
  Wakayama
- Chugoku
  
  Tottori
  
  Shimane
  
  Okayama
  
  Hiroshima
  
  Yamaguchi
- Shikoku
  
  Tokushima
  
  Kagawa
  
  Ehime
  
  Kochi
- Kyushu / Okinawa
  
  Fukuoka
  
  Saga
  
  Nagasaki
  
  Kumamoto
  
  Oita
  
  Miyazaki
  
  Kagoshima
  
  Okinawa

Category

Leisure / Hobbies

Culture / Tour

Ueno Zoo

4.0

3044 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokyo Taitou-ku Uenokouen 9-83

This urban zoo located in Taito City’s Ueno-onshi-koen Park is Japan’s oldest zoo, having opened in 1882. Inside are more than 500 types of animals, and it is most famous for giant panda in particular. The zoo is breeding and displaying the world’s three rarest animals that include the pygmy hippopotamus and okapi as well as the panda. From the 1990s the animal enclosures were refurbished to provide a space for patrons to see animals in more natural surroundings.

Some zoos are designed to look like the animals are really in nature. This zoo was not one of those. All the animals were in tiny cages. Some of the cages were just concrete, and there was nothing...
Asahiyama Zoo

4.5

2774 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Hokkaido Asahikawashi Higashiasahikawachou Kuranuma

Asahiyama Zoo is a zoo in Asahikawa City. The exhibits allow you to see the expressions of the animals close up and include the penguin enclosure where you can see the penguins swimming as if they are flying through the air from an underwater tunnel that gives a 360° view (at the Penguin Building), the polar bear enclosure where the 300kg giants swim around energetically (at the Polar Bear Building), the seal enclosure where you can watch the distinctive swimming of seals (at the Seal Building), and the beasts of prey enclosure where you can see tigers, lions, leopards and other from various angles (at the Beast Building). The penguin walk held outside in the snow season is also popular.

A good place to kill time if you have. It is definitely not the place of not visiting will die. However, good to see some of the animals which is natively of Hokkaido It is reachable by bus from...
Jigokudani Yaen-koen

4.5

2715 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Shimotakaigunyamanouchimachi Hirao 6845

This is a park where you can watch bathing monkeys in a hot spring and it is also popular with foreign tourists as a place to see “snow monkeys”. All the monkeys in the park are wild and enter the hot spring in order to be able to endure the cold temperatures of the severe winters which can reach minus 10°C. The park is located in the valley of Yokoyu River which brims with rustic beauty, and is located 30 minutes by foot from the free parking lot at Kanbayashi hot spring.

We had a great experience at the Snow Monkey Park! We took a taxi from the train station—which took about 15 minutes and cost around 2000 yen. We arrived right when it opened at 08:30 am and were...
Tennoji Zoo

3.5

740 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Osaka Osakashi Tennouji-ku Chausuyamachou 1-108

A municipal zoo located in Tennoji Ward, Osaka City first opened in 1915. The zoo cares for some 200 species and around 1,000 individual animals and is famous the efforts it takes to recreate their natural environments. Popular zoo areas include the African Savanna Zone, home to giraffes, lions, and hippos; Reptile House; Asian Tropical Rain Forest, site of the popular elephant exhibit; and the Friendship Square, a favorite for children where they can pet sheep and goats. Visitors can also watch animals such as the elephants, lions, and penguins being fed.

Small zoo . A few animals . The only catch for me is to see the white polar. The place is easy to walk . Wheelchair friendly . A basic zoo . I will not recommend to come here unless the children...
Kobe Animal Kingdom

4.5

608 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Hyogo Pref. Koubeshi Chuou-ku Minatojimaminamimachi 7-1-9

An all-weather theme park located on Port Island in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Its predecessor was the Kobe Flower and Bird Garden, a facility which brought guests in contact with flowers and birds. The park contains numerous greenhouses and outdoor exhibition spaces where tropical flowers bloom in profusion. Numerous varieties of animals and birds are also allowed to roam the park freely, or can be view up close in special exhibits. Visitors can enjoy getting close to and even feeding rare birds, capybara, alpacas, and penguins. The impressive bird show and dog performances are a must-see. The park’s seasonal buffet can be enjoyed by all ages, from children to senior citizens, making it well-received with families.

Really fun experience, much better than we expected. We needed something fun for our son who has been a trooper the past few days. This was really great. There are a few animals who look a bit...
Zoorasia - Yokohama Zoological Gardens

4.0

522 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Asahi-ku Kamishiranechou 1175-1

Located in the Asahi Ward of Yokohama City, Zoorasia (Yokohama Zoological Gardens) is a zoo inspired by the vision of “Symbiosis of Life and Harmony with Nature.” Zoorasia covers a total area of approximately 53.3 hectares, making it Japan’s largest zoo. The name “Zoorasia” (combing “Zoo” and “Eurasia”) reflects the large size of the zoo, comparing it (tongue-in-cheek) to the size of the Eurasian continent. The zoo is divided into eight zones based on climatic and geographic conditions in different parts of the world, recreating the kinds of environment in which the animals live in the wild. Every summer, the zoo stays open in the evening as “Night Zoorasia”; public response to this initiative has been very positive.

I left Queensland for the zoo around 1:00 pm. But between subways, trains, lunch and a bus I didnt arrive until 3:30 pm And it closes at 4:30 pm !!! Why didnt I research this ? Anyway, I power...
Kobe Oji Zoo

4.0

644 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Hyogo Pref. Koubeshi Nada-ku Oujichou 3-1

This is a zoo in Oji Park and is located about three minutes on foot from Oji-koen Station on the Hankyu Line. In addition to the zoo being in the park, there are also such facilities as Zoological Science Museum, an amusement park, restaurants, shops, and Kobe’s Ijinkan, Former Hunter’s residence, so you can spend a full day enjoying it all. One of the highlights is looking at the animals being fed or trained such as being able to see the panda in accordance with the time schedule. Also, during petting time you can have a cute rabbit or a guinea pig on your lap, and you can take a picture with them.

I loved visiting Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens. The colors and smells were amazing, and the plants and flowers were beautiful. It was peaceful and calm there.
Fuji Safari Park

4.0

492 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Shizuoka Pref. Susonoshi Suyama Fujiwara 2255-27

Japan’s largest safari park, located in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Some 30 species of animals, including a variety of large herbivores, bears, and lions live lives of ease in the park’s Safari Zone, which visitors can drive through in their own car or take a park bus tour through to view them up close in an environment close to their natural habitat. In the Fureai Zone, visitors can play with and feed kangaroos, capybaras, and other small animals. There’s also a popular Walking Safari course which lets you walk the outer perimeter of the safari zone on foot (closed in winter). The park offers a Night Safari course only on Saturday, Sunday, and holiday nights in spring and summer.

If youre in fuji, its worth a trip. Price runs 2800/person and you can expect to spend about 2 hours. Pro tip:DO NOT waste your time on the walking trail of the park. Its just for people that like...
Nogeyama Zoo

4.0

620 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Nishi-ku Oimatsuchou 63-10

This zoo is located inside of Nogeyama Park, which sits on a hilltop overlooking the 21 districts of Minatomirai. Admission is free. Visitors can see 2,500 animals from around 100 species including lions, tigers, and giraffes. The zoo also has an indoor climate-controlled reptile exhibit. Watching the staff breed and care for the crocodilians and tortoises is popular with visitors. At the zoo's Nakayoshi Hiroba (Friendship Plaza), visitors can actually pet and feed animals such as guinea pigs and mice, allowing them to feel the warmth of animals up close.

Walk uphill from train station to here. Book a animal petting session at the entrance or scan a QR code but we found it too tedious to do the Japanese form filling on our phones. So we went to the...
Tokyo Tama Zoological Park

4.5

325 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokyo Hinoshi Hodokubo 7-1-1

This zoo opened in 1958 and is one of the largest zoos in the country with approximately 320 species of animals kept on its expansive premises. A characteristic of the zoo is its spacious exhibits that make use of the area’s abundant nature. It is famous for its Sky Walk, a 150-meter rope set up high for orangutans to cross over. The park is divided up into four zones, the Asian Zone, African Zone, Australia Zone, and Insectarium, which are all connected by a shuttle bus. The closest station is Tama-dobutsukoen Station.

Please help baby chimp Plum she needs some physical and mental rehabilitation. She is underdeveloped at her age. The hair on her stomach is worn off . And she is going to be very ill if something...
Miyagi Zao Fox Village

3.0

335 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Miyagi Shiroishi-shi Fukuokayatsumiya Kawarago 11-3

I read very mixed reviews on this place, and I left with many mixed feelings. Ill try to be brief but theres a lot to cover. First of all, we came on a hot day (35C degrees), so pretty much all...
African Safari

4.5

294 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Oita Pref. Usashi Ajimumachiminamihata 2-1755-1

This is Kyushu’s only safari park and one of Japan’s largest, where 1,300 animals of 70 varieties are raised in conditions close to natural. There is an “animal zone” where visitors can observe lions and tigers from a jungle bus or their own car, and a “petting zone” where one can do horse riding or pet small animals, allowing one to enjoy the various aspects and charms of the animals.

It was a great half day experience there. We were given a tray of animals food to feed them including for kind ones like reindeers and fierce ones like bears and lions. Other than the safari tour...
Tobu Zoo

4.0

192 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Saitama Pref. Minamisaitamagunmiyashiromachi Suka 110

This is a zoo and amusement park in Suka, Miyashiro Town, Minami-Saitama County. There are 120 species and 1,200 animals kept at the zoo including white tigers and brown bears, and there are roller coasters and rides suitable for children in the amusement park. Also there are a number of restaurants and stores. There is also a large outdoor pool facility called the “Tobu Super Pool” within the grounds.

Wide range of animal including elephants, white tiger and lions and even penguins. Can see animals in close distance and interact with rabbit, kangaroos and ducks, sheep. Lots of fun specially with...
Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden

4.0

343 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Oita Pref. Oitashi Kanzaki 3098-1

Approximately a three-minute walk from the Takasakiyama bus stop, this zoo is located at the foot of Mt. Takasaki, with a distinctive shape reminiscent of a bell-shape. It is believed that wild monkeys lived in the area since at least around 1698 because of their description in documents from that time. The mayor of Oita City thought it could be used as a tourism resource and to prevent damage to agricultural crops in 1952, so they began to get gathered up with bait. There are currently two groups that have a total of 1,000 monkeys. In addition to being able to watch friendly monkeys up close, the potato feeding that happens twice a day is a must-see.

Know that this zoo is up a mountain; however, they offer a tram to take you if you prefer not to walk up the mountain. They have signs not to bring food, and to watch your items. The monkeys can...
Kyoto City Zoo

3.5

246 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Okazakihoushoujichou In Okazaki Park

A zoo established by the city of Kyoto located in the Okazaki area of Sakyo Ward. This historic zoo was the second to be opened in the country, having begun operating in 1903. The zoo is dedicated to animal breeding and has achieved the first successful breeding in Japan of species such as lions, tigers, western lowland gorillas, and lar gibbons. The zoo houses numerous exhibits only found here, including an Asian elephant herd in the Forest of Elephants and a Gorilla House where visitors can see gorillas learning with the use of touch panels, a first in Japan. In the Otogi no Kuni (Fairy Land) exhibit Animals, used to the presence of humans such as domesticated farm animals can be viewed up close and touched, providing visitors to have fun while learning about the preciousness of life.

Literally horrible, I hated it there. If youre planning on going to Kyoto, go to the aquarium instead, I went there too and its so much better. Went there with my dad, hated this place. The...
Inokashira Park Zoo

4.0

250 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Tokyo Musashinoshi Gotenyama 1-17-6

This is a zoo occupying approximately one-third of Inokashira Onshi Koen (Inokashira Park) in Tokyo’s Musashino City. It is famous for its elephant Hanako, who had lived for a long time, passed away in 2016. Inside the park are small paths where the squirrels roam free, a petting corner, and a square where visitors can search for wildlife (Sundays 11 am-12 pm. Second Sunday only from January-March and November-December) and displays for the very popular capybara. In the separate zoo are exhibits of aquatic animals such as fish, amphibians, insects and waterfowl. Altogether both zoos keep more than 200 species of animals.

The zoo itself isnt anything special but, a nice place to pass the time, a surprising thing was that there is an statue museum inside.
Izu Animal Kingdom

4.0

267 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Shizuoka Pref. Kamogunhigashizuchou Inatori 3344

A theme park located in Higashiizu Town, Kamo County, Shizuoka Prefecture with a zoo, amusement park, sports zone, and more. In addition to white tiger, lion, and cheetah exhibits, there’s also a Walking Safari area where visitors can view animals like giraffes and zebras living in environments close to their natural habitat. There’s also a Ferris wheel, go-carts, a Dinosaur Forest dotted with lifelike dinosaur models, and a miniature golf course, making the park the perfect place to enjoy an entire day as a family or group.

First of all, a zoo is always a little depressing if you think is like a prison, but the zafari advertising of this one catch my attention. It looked ok until you reach the petting zoo. The parrots...
Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo

4.5

236 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Shizuoka Pref. Shizuokashi Suruga-ku Ikeda 1767-6

This zoo in Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City is known as one of the leading zoos in the country with almost 700 animals covering 160 species. The pens have been built to resemble the animal's natural habitat and include a wide variety of facilities including the Penguin House, the Red Panda House, and the Wild Animal House where you can watch the animals from up close. The popular Flying Megadome and Petting Zoo also draw large crowds.

We had a great time watching the seals. And there was a huge slide which was fun too. It is like a roller slide from the top of the mountain.
Nagasaki Bio Park

4.5

189 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagasaki Pref. Saikaishi Seihichounakayamagou 2291-1

Nagasaki Bio Park is unusual among Japanese zoos for keeping and displaying the animals in a nearly natural setting. Two hundred different species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, live in the zoo, and visitors can encounter the animals everywhere and even feed them. Depending on the season, Nagasaki Bio Park features a number of other events, including fishing for crayfish, picking strawberries, or the capybara outdoor bath.

This is an interactive zoo. You go into their enclosures. Little vending machines take a 100-yen coin. You receive food for that particular animal, and they will eat it right from your...
Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden

4.0

276 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Shizuoka Pref. Kamogunhigashizuchou Naramoto 1253-10

This is a zoo and botanical garden in Higashi Izu-cho, Kamo County in Shizuoka Prefecture and is composed of three facilities: an alligator park, a plant park and a separate park. The alligator park allows you to observe 17 different kinds of alligators including cross-breeds from various angles and holds events to get to know alligators throughout the year except in the winter. The plant and separate parks have 15 greenhouses that exhibit approximately 5,000 types of tropical plants including bananas and original orchid species. The separate park is popular for its red pandas. It is also known for having the only Amazonian Manatee in Japan.

DONT support this! The living conditions of the animals, especially the alligators, the birds and the manatee are absolutely horrifying. I have never seen anything like it and am still in...