As a high school exchange student in Tokyo, I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences—but one of my favourites so far has been visiting Ueno Zoo. I expected to see animals in cages like in a typical zoo, but what I found was something much more beautiful and thoughtful.
Each animal enclosure is designed with a theme that matches the animal’s natural environment. The giant pandas live among peaceful bamboo, the gorillas are surrounded by jungle scenery, and the polar bears chill out in an icy-looking setting that feels like Antarctica. It’s clear the zoo really tries to make the animals feel at home, and that made the whole experience feel more respectful and immersive.
Of course, the pandas are super famous here (you can even buy panda everything—from keychains to cookies), but there are over 2,600 animals from all over the world, including lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants, birds, and so many more. Each exhibit has signs in both Japanese and English, explaining things like the animal’s name, where it’s from, and interesting facts. It felt like I was learning something cool at every stop—without even trying!
One of the most memorable things for me was a display showing how ducks float on water. Instead of just putting ducks in a pond, they made a half-section of a pond so you can see both above and below the water at the same time. I got to watch a duck paddling its little feet underwater while it looked completely calm on the surface. There were even tiny fish and water plants in the pond, plus a colourful kingfisher bird on a branch nearby. I thought it was such a clever way to teach people how animals move and live.
The zoo isn’t just about animals either—there are some really fun photo spots. My favourite was a giant panda plush you can hug and take pictures with. Loads of little kids were lining up to pose with it… and honestly, so were a bunch of adults (I may or may not have joined them).
Getting to Ueno Zoo was super easy. It’s just a short walk from Ueno Station, and there are signs in English so I didn’t get lost. Right outside the station is a big map of Ueno Park, which helps a lot. The entrance fee was really affordable—just 600 yen for adults—and it felt totally worth it. I think it’s an awesome place to visit if you’re travelling with family or even just hanging out with friends.
If you’re ever in Tokyo and want to do something fun, relaxing, and educational all at once, definitely check out Ueno Zoo. I came away with a bunch of photos, fun memories—and even a few new animal facts!
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