Ueno Zoo
last update: February 11, 2021
The
Ueno Zoo (上野動物園, Ueno Dōbutsuen), is a public zoo occupying an area of 14.3 hectares within the
Ueno Park. It opened on March 20, 1882 and is Japan's oldest zoo. With over 3,000 specimens belonging to more than 400 different species, it is also one of the most important zoos in the country. In recent years, many old-fashioned cages of the past have been replaced with modern habitats, more respectful of animal welfare.
Practical information, hours and fees
Admission:: 620¥
Opening hours: 9:30-17:00
Closing days: monday
Other useful info: you can visit the zoo for free 3 days a year, on March 20 (anniversary of the zoo's inauguration), May 4 (Greenery Day, a national holiday) and October 1 (Tokyo Citizen's Day).
All the details on the Ueno Zoo
The zoo is divided into two large areas: the
East Garden and the
West Garden. Both areas are included in the entrance ticket but are physically separated by a road. It takes about 10 minutes to get from one area to another. A monorail line (
Ueno Zoo Monorail) connecting the two areas of the zoo was in operation until 31 October 2019. This monorail was also the oldest in Japan and one of the oldest in the world, inaugurated in 1957. Unfortunately, the service has been suspended for the time being.
one of the entrances to the Ueno Zoo
The
East Garden is home to the zoo's most popular animals, the
pandas, but also tigers, lions, elephants, and polar bears. An interesting thing for foreign tourists is the
Japanese animal zone. In this area of the park you will also find a
five-story pagoda from 1631, belonging to a glorious temple, which was almost completely destroyed (
Kaneiji Temple), which in the past occupied the entire the Ueno Park area. This pagoda is one of the few surviving buildings. A tea room building from the 1700s can also be found in this area.
The pandas of the Ueno Zoo
The stars of this zoo are undoubtedly the pandas.
The first giant pandas arrived in 1972 from China. After Ling Ling's death in 2008, the zoo remained without pandas for about three years. Two new giant pandas arrived from China's Wolong Nature Reserve in February 2011. The male panda was renamed Riri, the female panda was renamed Shinshin.
panda
The
West Garden hosts many other animals, and in particular the
African animal area (rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, okapi), the
vivarium (rare fish, crocodiles, turtles, snakes and frogs) and a petting zoo (goats, rabbits, sheep, cows, horses). The garden overlooks a part of the
Shinobazu Pond, which serves as a habitat for various water birds and in particular pelicans and cormorants.
giraffe
How to get to the Ueno Zoo
Ueno Zoo occupies a large area of Ueno Park. Once inside the park you will easily find the indications for the entrances.
Ueno Zoo's entrance gates
You can enter/exit the zoo through three gates:
- Main gate
- Benten gate
- Ikenohata gate
Guided tours, activities and other things to do
If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use
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(credits)
one of the entrances to the Ueno Zoo
panda
giraffe
