Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Zoo

Prefecture

Aichi

Type

Zoo

N/A

0 reviews

¥800

Entry Fee

Restaurant Train Access

About This Destination

Nagoya's big zoo and botanical garden on a hill in Chikusa Ward: Shabani the western lowland gorilla, koalas, and a 1936 steel-framed glasshouse that is an Important Cultural Property. Adults pay 800 yen; junior high school students and younger are free.

This is a big place on a slope, and comfortable shoes matter more than a map. The zoo and the botanical garden opened in 1937 and share one ticket, with gates at Higashiyama-koen Station at the bottom and Hoshigaoka at the top. Most people head first for Shabani, a western lowland gorilla born in the Netherlands in 1996 who came here in 2007 and became famous online for his looks. He lives in the gorilla and chimpanzee house in the north part of the zoo. Koalas have been here since 1984 and have their own house. Up the hill, the botanical garden grows about 7,000 kinds of plants, and its front glasshouse, finished in 1936, is the oldest full steel-framed greenhouse left in Japan. It became an Important Cultural Property in 2006 and reopened in April 2021 after eight years of restoration. Higashiyama Sky Tower, 134 m tall on top of the hill, can be added with a joint ticket. Adult admission is 800 yen; junior high school students and younger go free. It closes on Mondays, and weekends in spring bring long queues at the gates.

Location

Prefecture: Aichi

Address: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Nearest Station: Higashiyama-koen Station

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 09:00–16:50

Closed: Closed on Mondays (when Monday is a national or substitute holiday, the next non-holiday day instead) and December 29 to January 1.

Hours note: Last entry 16:30. On some evenings, such as Night ZOO days in summer and the autumn maple illumination, the botanical garden stays open later; check the calendar on the official site.

Best time to visit: Spring and autumn; in summer arrive at opening time, as many animals rest in the afternoon heat

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is admission?

Adults (high school age and up) pay 800 yen, and junior high school students and younger are free. A joint ticket with Higashiyama Sky Tower is 880 yen.

Where can I see Shabani the gorilla?

In the gorilla and chimpanzee house in the north part of the zoo. Mornings are usually the best time to catch the gorillas moving around outdoors.

How long should I spend there?

Plan on most of a day if you want both the zoo and the botanical garden; the grounds are large and hilly. With only a few hours, pick the zoo's main animals and the greenhouse.

When is it closed?

Every Monday, or the next non-holiday day when Monday is a holiday, and from December 29 to January 1. Normal hours are 9:00 to 16:50, with last entry at 16:30.