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Aichi 🦌 Animals 📷 10

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens

東山動植物園

Animals shown in enclosures designed around their natural behaviour.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season Spring and autumn; winter for cold-climate species
Time needed 2–3 hours
Admission Roughly ¥500–1,500 (≈ $3–9)
Opening hours Typically 9:30–17:00, closed Mondays

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

What this place is

The Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens (東山動植物園, Higashiyama Dōshokubutsuen) is a joint zoo and botanical garden located at Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is open every day except Monday, and charges a modest admission fee. Established in 1937, the Higashiyama Zoo is one of Asia's largest attractions, featuring a botanical garden and an amusement park. The logo for the koala exhibit was designed by manga artist Akira Toriyama in 1984. It keeps more than 450 species, which is the largest number in Japan. The botanical gardens feature wild flora, as well as a greenhouse, insect hall, and a Japanese garden. The Higashiyama Sky Tower allows visitors a view of Nagoya from its observation decks, and also features a restaurant 100 metres above ground. As of 2010, Higashiyama Zoo had the 2nd most annual park visits of any zoo in Japan, behind only the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Exhibits built so animals move, climb and swim above or around visitors rather than sitting still.
  • Species suited to the local climate, including cold-weather animals rarely seen elsewhere.
  • Keeper talks that explain individual animals by name, personality and history.

What you can do here

  • Follow the keeper-talk timetable — it is the difference between seeing animals and understanding them.
  • Visit the popular enclosures right at opening, when the animals are most active.
  • Try the feeding or petting experiences if they are offered that day.
  • Take the loop bus or shuttle in larger parks; the sites can be surprisingly hilly.

Getting there

We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.

Area: Aichi

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Midday in summer is the worst time — most animals sleep and shade is limited.
  • Closed Mondays as a rule; winter hours are shorter than summer.
  • Strollers are usually rentable at the gate for a small fee.

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