Things to do in Ueno Zoo

Things to do in Ueno Zoo

Over time, the social trend towards a lot of things have changed. Like the old days, we are no longer scared of animals, and we don’t try to kill them (at least most of us don’t do that). There are many organizations these days in support of animal rights. These organizations protect and feed the animals. The culture of the Zoo is changing as well. Now, you won’t see animals in a cage behind bars. These days, the zoo management ensures that the animals have absolute freedom in the Zoo as well. There are multiple famous Zoo in the world, and the Ueno zoo is one of them. There are different things to do in this Zoo, and this discussion will feature a few of them! 

1 – East Garden

When you visit the Ueno zoo, you’ll find out that the management of the Zoo is taking care of the Zoo very effectively and it is effortless for the tourists to visit the whole area. When you visit the eastern side of the Zoo, you’ll find out hills, forests, and woods. In this East garden lies the main attraction of Ueno Zoo, the Giant Panda. In the hill of Eastern Garden, you’ll find Brown Bear. In the forest, you will find a tiger, and in the woods, you will see Gorilla. 

View this post on Instagram

『 シャンはベッドで寝なさい💕 母さんは床で充分よ❤️ 』 2018 7月24日 10時23分 1型コンデジ使用 耳まわり、そっくり💕 お庭でも良く寝ているのですが、お部屋だとさらに寝んねしている時間を感じます。 基本、睡眠時間は外も部屋も同じ感じなのですが。 パン友さんに写真見せて、と言われて始めたインスタグラム。 お陰様で、時間がなく放置状態の莫大な量のシャン写真❣️を少しづつ振り返るきっかけを頂きました。 懐かしい写真を小出し致しますので、古い〰と思わず楽しんで頂けたら幸いです。 #シャンシャン #シンシン #パンダ #ジャイアントパンダ #上野動物園 #uenozoo #香香 #真真 #xiangxiang #panda #giantpanda #Ueno Zoological Gardens,Tokyo

A post shared by 垂れ耳mimi (@lopearmimi) on

2- West Garden

Now let us move to the west side of the garden as the kids may get a little uncomfortable around the mighty creatures. You’ll see a large Shinabzu pond on the western side of the Zoo. All of the animals are pretty near to each other in the corner of the West Garden. The animals you will see in this area are African animals like Giraffe, Hippopotamus and rhino. This area is a lot interesting for the kids as they can find mammals in this part of the Ueno Zoo. You can see animals like an armadillo, naked mole rats, mongooses, and tamarin monkeys. 

View this post on Instagram

Cuteness overload #prairiedog #uenozoo #tokyo #japan #animals #tokyotravel #animalphotography #cuteanimals #zoo #ueno #throwback #memories #edohq

A post shared by Satu Hautamäki (@mrsgravehill) on

3- Monorail

The design of the whole Zoo is unique as it helps the tourists of all ages to visit easily. While checking out all things to do in the Zoo, there is a possibility that you get tired of walking or if you have elder tourists with you, they can’t see the whole Zoo by their feet. So, for these customers, you will find a monorail right between the eastern and western parts. Both parts of the Zoo connect with the help of a bridge and footpath. I should mention here that you will need to pay additional charges for monorail ride. 

View this post on Instagram

The monorail at Ueno Zoo has been running since 1957 and was the first monorail in Japan. It links the eastern and western parts of the zoo.

A post shared by Japan Station (@jpnstation) on

4- Cultural Touch

The purpose of Ueno zoo isn’t only to show the animals of different species, but the management wants the tourists to be familiar with their culture. The tea ceremony is an important part of Japanese culture. In the Eastern Garden of the Zoo, you will see a five-storey pagoda. In this pagoda, you can enjoy Japanese tea ceremony, and it also reflects the age when the ground of this Zoo was part of Kaneiji Temple area. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Handy Setiawan CK (@handys_ck) on

We know that we need to spend quality time with our family to relax our mindsand hearts. There are different places to spend quality family time and visiting a Zoo is one of those activities. An interesting part about the Ueno zoo is that the management hasn’t only put the whole focus in caring about the animals. They also want to show you the Japanese culture and history. By visiting the Zoo, you will not only enjoy different kinds of animals but will learn something new about this great country. If you get a chance to visit Japan, Ueno zoo should be on your list!