Inokashira Park Zoo, 29 January 2025
The Inokashira Park Zoo is a small zoo which specialises in native Japanese fauna, although there are a few exotics clustered in what could be termed a Childrens Zoo (centred around a Guinea Pig Petting Zoo and farmyard area).
The zoo is divided into two separate parts with one entry ticket.
The smaller part is called the Aquatic Life Park and mainly displays waterfowl and wading birds, and has a fantastic Aquatic Life House for fish, herptiles and invertebrates. The aquariums in the Aquatic Life House were beautifully maintained, and the signage covered not just the animals within the tanks but also the plants.
The larger part is the main zoo and mostly displays mammals and land birds.
I loved this zoo. I spent 1.5 hours in the Aquatic Life Park (mostly within the Aquatic Life House), and 2 hours in the main zoo. It is very well presented and feels like the sort of place a person could open for themselves. There are very few cages which were too small although, equally, few were very large. The Humboldt Penguin enclosure in the "Childrens Zoo" area was a big mis-step, just very small and unlikeable. At the other end was a brilliant walk-through "aviary"-style enclosure for Japanese Squirrels. Most cages and aviaries fell somewhere between these two extremes.
The focus on Japanese animals really enhances the visit for a foreigner, with exciting species round every corner. While the larger zoos in Tokyo like Ueno or Tama would hold more attraction for species-hunters overall, I feel like Inokashira Park would be an ideal first zoo to visit in the city. You have a good impression right off the bat, and you'll see most of the native species which you can then skip over at Ueno or Tama if you want.
Photos in the zoo gallery: Inokashira Park Zoo - ZooChat
SPECIES LIST:
Species marked with an asterisk were signed (or on the map) but were not currently on display.
MAMMALS:
Eurasian Otter was not on display due to enclosure renovations; the Japanese Raccoon Dog enclosure had a sign that it was unoccupied; the Capybara enclosure (as per the map) was empty with the signage removed; the exhibit for Small Japanese Field Mouse was completely bare, and there was also a second bare tank nearby but without any signage.
Of the species which were currently on display, the only ones I did not see were the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel (presumably inside their nest boxes), and the Harvest and Large Japanese Field Mice (both inside their hides).
Ryukyu Flying Fox Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus
Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta
Meerkat Suricata suricatta
Japanese Marten Martes melampus melampus
Tsushima Marten Martes melampus tsuensis
*Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (did not see - enclosure was under renovation)
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata
Japanese Red Fox Vulpes vulpes japonicus
*Japanese Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes viverrinus (did not see - enclosure currently empty)
Japanese Badger Meles anakuma
Tsushima Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura
Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda
Wild Pig Sus scrofa
domestic Goat
domestic Sheep
Japanese Serow Capricornis crispus
Yakushima Sika Cervus nippon yakushimae
Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista leucogenys nikonis (did not see)
Japanese Squirrel Sciurus lis
Crested Porcupine (signed as Hystrix cristata)
*Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (on map but did not see - enclosure was empty with signage removed)
Mara Dolichotis patagonum
domestic Guinea Pig
House Mouse Mus musculus
domestic white mouse
Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus japonicus (did not see)
*Small Japanese Field Mouse Apodemus argenteus (did not see - exhibit was empty)
Large Japanese Field Mouse Apodemus speciosus (did not see)
Japanese Grass Vole Alexandromys [Microtus] montebelli
domestic Rabbit
Japanese Hare Lepus brachyurus brachyurus
BIRDS:
Most of the "aquatic" birds (waterfowl and wading birds) were housed in the Aquatic Life Park section of the zoo. Of the non-domestic species which were currently on display at the zoo, the only ones I did not see were the Japanese Scops Owl (presumably inside their roosting boxes) and Eurasian Bullfinch (in a mixed aviary).
Several aviaries at the "Japanese Bird House" were under renovation - I don't know if any extra species were therefore off-show.
In the Aquatic Life Park section of the zoo, the aviaries for the Call Ducks (domestic) and "goose" (on the map - presumably either domestic or the same wild species as in the other aviaries) were empty. A couple of other aviaries were also under renovation in this area.
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei
Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Japanese Night Heron Gorsachius goisagi
Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor
Oriental White Stork Ciconia boyciana
Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis (housed in both sections of the zoo)
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Swan Goose Anser cygnoides
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
*domestic Duck (on map as "Call Duck" - did not see - aviary was empty)
Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha
Gadwall Anas strepera
Garganey Anas querquedula
Falcated Duck Anas falcata
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Common Teal Anas crecca
Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Greater Scaup Aythya marila
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
domestic Chicken (signed in the farmyard, did not see)
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica
Chinese Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola thoracicus
Northern Green Pheasant Phasianus versicolor robustipes
Ijima Copper Pheasant Syrmaticus soemmerringii ijimae
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata
Ural Owl Strix uralensis
Japanese Scops Owl Otus semitorques (did not see)
Japanese Wood Pigeon Columba janthina
White-bellied Green Pigeon Treron sieboldii
Varied Tit Sittiparus varius
Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula (did not see)
Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica
Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus
Lidth's Jay Garrulus lidthi
REPTILES:
All species were housed in the Aquatic Life House apart for the Japanese Rat Snake, which was in the main part of the zoo (by the Guinea Pig Petting Zoo area). All signed species were seen except for the Japanese Pond Turtle.
Japanese Gecko Gekko japonicus
Japanese Keelback Hebius vibakari vibakari
Japanese Rat Snake Elaphe climacophora
Japanese Pond Turtle Mauremys japonica (did not see)
North American Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina
AMPHIBIANS:
All the amphibians were housed in the Aquatic Life House. All signed species were seen.
Japanese Giant Salamander Andrias japonicus
Japanese Fire-bellied Newt Cynops pyrrhogaster
Tokyo Salamander Hynobius tokyoensis
Japanese Tree Frog Dryophytes japonicus
Tokyo Daruma Pond Frog Pelophylax porosus porosus
Japanese Brown Frog Rana japonica
Kanto Wrinkled Frog Glandirana reliquia
Japanese Toad Bufo japonicus formosus
FISH:
All species were housed in the Aquatic Life House. All signed species were seen.
Goby Gymnogobius urotaenia (no common name)
Goby Sicyopterus japonicus (no common name)
Freshwater Goby Rhinogobius kurodai (no common name)
Japanese Gudgeon Pseudogobio esocinus esocinus (signed just as Minnow)
Barbel Steed Hemibarbus barbus (Fishbase says the valid name is Hemibarbus labeo)
Topmouth Gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva (signed with typo as "Topmouse Gudgeon")
Moroko Pseudorasbora pumila pumila
Oriental Loach Minnow Pungtungia herzi
Japanese Dace Tribolodon hakonensis (Fishbase says the valid name is Pseudaspius hakonensis)
Pale Chub Opsariichthys platypus (Fishbase says the valid name is Zacco platypus)
Dark Chub Candidia temminckii (Fishbase says the valid name is Nipponocypris temminckii)
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
Crucian Carp Carassius buergeri subsp. 2 (GBIF says that Carassius auratus buergeri "is identical to Carassius buergeri subsp. 2 of Hosoya (2013)")
Crucian Carp Carassius sp. (as signed)
Tanago Bitterling Acheilognathus melanogaster (called Genuine Bitterling on another sign)
Bitterling Acheilognathus typus
Bitterling Acheilognathus tabira erythropterus
Slender Bitterling Tanakia lanceolata
Tokyo Bitterling Tanakia tanago (Fishbase says the valid name is Pseudorhodeus tanago)
Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus subsp. 1 (as signed)
Stickleback Pungitius sp. 4 (as signed)
Weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
Hotoke Loach Lefua echigonia
Japanese Killifish Oryzias latipes
Japanese Eel Anguilla japonica
Masu Salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou
Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis
Japanese Redear Bass Coreoperca kawamebari
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
INVERTEBRATES:
All invertebrates were housed in the Aquatic Life House, apart for one display-case outside (in the main part of the zoo) which displayed mantis ootheca but which was unlabelled.
On the map I have just noticed "Ogasawara's land snail" labelled at the end of the aviaries which hold Copper Pheasants (in the main part of the zoo). I did not notice this at the time of my visit and don't know which species it was, however other Japanese zoos keep Mandarina hirasei so it was probably this one.
Otherwise all signed species were seen.
Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium nipponense
Japanese Freshwater Crab Geothelphusa dehaani
Japanese Mitten Crab Eriocheir japonica
Water Spider Argyroneta aquatica
Giant Water Bug Lethocerus deyrollei
Great Diving Beetle Cybister japonicus
The Inokashira Park Zoo is a small zoo which specialises in native Japanese fauna, although there are a few exotics clustered in what could be termed a Childrens Zoo (centred around a Guinea Pig Petting Zoo and farmyard area).
The zoo is divided into two separate parts with one entry ticket.
The smaller part is called the Aquatic Life Park and mainly displays waterfowl and wading birds, and has a fantastic Aquatic Life House for fish, herptiles and invertebrates. The aquariums in the Aquatic Life House were beautifully maintained, and the signage covered not just the animals within the tanks but also the plants.
The larger part is the main zoo and mostly displays mammals and land birds.
I loved this zoo. I spent 1.5 hours in the Aquatic Life Park (mostly within the Aquatic Life House), and 2 hours in the main zoo. It is very well presented and feels like the sort of place a person could open for themselves. There are very few cages which were too small although, equally, few were very large. The Humboldt Penguin enclosure in the "Childrens Zoo" area was a big mis-step, just very small and unlikeable. At the other end was a brilliant walk-through "aviary"-style enclosure for Japanese Squirrels. Most cages and aviaries fell somewhere between these two extremes.
The focus on Japanese animals really enhances the visit for a foreigner, with exciting species round every corner. While the larger zoos in Tokyo like Ueno or Tama would hold more attraction for species-hunters overall, I feel like Inokashira Park would be an ideal first zoo to visit in the city. You have a good impression right off the bat, and you'll see most of the native species which you can then skip over at Ueno or Tama if you want.
Photos in the zoo gallery: Inokashira Park Zoo - ZooChat
SPECIES LIST:
Species marked with an asterisk were signed (or on the map) but were not currently on display.
MAMMALS:
Eurasian Otter was not on display due to enclosure renovations; the Japanese Raccoon Dog enclosure had a sign that it was unoccupied; the Capybara enclosure (as per the map) was empty with the signage removed; the exhibit for Small Japanese Field Mouse was completely bare, and there was also a second bare tank nearby but without any signage.
Of the species which were currently on display, the only ones I did not see were the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel (presumably inside their nest boxes), and the Harvest and Large Japanese Field Mice (both inside their hides).
Ryukyu Flying Fox Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus
Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta
Meerkat Suricata suricatta
Japanese Marten Martes melampus melampus
Tsushima Marten Martes melampus tsuensis
*Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (did not see - enclosure was under renovation)
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata
Japanese Red Fox Vulpes vulpes japonicus
*Japanese Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes viverrinus (did not see - enclosure currently empty)
Japanese Badger Meles anakuma
Tsushima Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura
Fennec Fox Vulpes zerda
Wild Pig Sus scrofa
domestic Goat
domestic Sheep
Japanese Serow Capricornis crispus
Yakushima Sika Cervus nippon yakushimae
Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista leucogenys nikonis (did not see)
Japanese Squirrel Sciurus lis
Crested Porcupine (signed as Hystrix cristata)
*Capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (on map but did not see - enclosure was empty with signage removed)
Mara Dolichotis patagonum
domestic Guinea Pig
House Mouse Mus musculus
domestic white mouse
Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus japonicus (did not see)
*Small Japanese Field Mouse Apodemus argenteus (did not see - exhibit was empty)
Large Japanese Field Mouse Apodemus speciosus (did not see)
Japanese Grass Vole Alexandromys [Microtus] montebelli
domestic Rabbit
Japanese Hare Lepus brachyurus brachyurus
BIRDS:
Most of the "aquatic" birds (waterfowl and wading birds) were housed in the Aquatic Life Park section of the zoo. Of the non-domestic species which were currently on display at the zoo, the only ones I did not see were the Japanese Scops Owl (presumably inside their roosting boxes) and Eurasian Bullfinch (in a mixed aviary).
Several aviaries at the "Japanese Bird House" were under renovation - I don't know if any extra species were therefore off-show.
In the Aquatic Life Park section of the zoo, the aviaries for the Call Ducks (domestic) and "goose" (on the map - presumably either domestic or the same wild species as in the other aviaries) were empty. A couple of other aviaries were also under renovation in this area.
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei
Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Japanese Night Heron Gorsachius goisagi
Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor
Oriental White Stork Ciconia boyciana
Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis (housed in both sections of the zoo)
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Swan Goose Anser cygnoides
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
*domestic Duck (on map as "Call Duck" - did not see - aviary was empty)
Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha
Gadwall Anas strepera
Garganey Anas querquedula
Falcated Duck Anas falcata
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Common Teal Anas crecca
Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Greater Scaup Aythya marila
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
domestic Chicken (signed in the farmyard, did not see)
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica
Chinese Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola thoracicus
Northern Green Pheasant Phasianus versicolor robustipes
Ijima Copper Pheasant Syrmaticus soemmerringii ijimae
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata
Ural Owl Strix uralensis
Japanese Scops Owl Otus semitorques (did not see)
Japanese Wood Pigeon Columba janthina
White-bellied Green Pigeon Treron sieboldii
Varied Tit Sittiparus varius
Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula (did not see)
Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica
Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus
Lidth's Jay Garrulus lidthi
REPTILES:
All species were housed in the Aquatic Life House apart for the Japanese Rat Snake, which was in the main part of the zoo (by the Guinea Pig Petting Zoo area). All signed species were seen except for the Japanese Pond Turtle.
Japanese Gecko Gekko japonicus
Japanese Keelback Hebius vibakari vibakari
Japanese Rat Snake Elaphe climacophora
Japanese Pond Turtle Mauremys japonica (did not see)
North American Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina
AMPHIBIANS:
All the amphibians were housed in the Aquatic Life House. All signed species were seen.
Japanese Giant Salamander Andrias japonicus
Japanese Fire-bellied Newt Cynops pyrrhogaster
Tokyo Salamander Hynobius tokyoensis
Japanese Tree Frog Dryophytes japonicus
Tokyo Daruma Pond Frog Pelophylax porosus porosus
Japanese Brown Frog Rana japonica
Kanto Wrinkled Frog Glandirana reliquia
Japanese Toad Bufo japonicus formosus
FISH:
All species were housed in the Aquatic Life House. All signed species were seen.
Goby Gymnogobius urotaenia (no common name)
Goby Sicyopterus japonicus (no common name)
Freshwater Goby Rhinogobius kurodai (no common name)
Japanese Gudgeon Pseudogobio esocinus esocinus (signed just as Minnow)
Barbel Steed Hemibarbus barbus (Fishbase says the valid name is Hemibarbus labeo)
Topmouth Gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva (signed with typo as "Topmouse Gudgeon")
Moroko Pseudorasbora pumila pumila
Oriental Loach Minnow Pungtungia herzi
Japanese Dace Tribolodon hakonensis (Fishbase says the valid name is Pseudaspius hakonensis)
Pale Chub Opsariichthys platypus (Fishbase says the valid name is Zacco platypus)
Dark Chub Candidia temminckii (Fishbase says the valid name is Nipponocypris temminckii)
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
Crucian Carp Carassius buergeri subsp. 2 (GBIF says that Carassius auratus buergeri "is identical to Carassius buergeri subsp. 2 of Hosoya (2013)")
Crucian Carp Carassius sp. (as signed)
Tanago Bitterling Acheilognathus melanogaster (called Genuine Bitterling on another sign)
Bitterling Acheilognathus typus
Bitterling Acheilognathus tabira erythropterus
Slender Bitterling Tanakia lanceolata
Tokyo Bitterling Tanakia tanago (Fishbase says the valid name is Pseudorhodeus tanago)
Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus subsp. 1 (as signed)
Stickleback Pungitius sp. 4 (as signed)
Weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
Hotoke Loach Lefua echigonia
Japanese Killifish Oryzias latipes
Japanese Eel Anguilla japonica
Masu Salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou
Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis
Japanese Redear Bass Coreoperca kawamebari
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
INVERTEBRATES:
All invertebrates were housed in the Aquatic Life House, apart for one display-case outside (in the main part of the zoo) which displayed mantis ootheca but which was unlabelled.
On the map I have just noticed "Ogasawara's land snail" labelled at the end of the aviaries which hold Copper Pheasants (in the main part of the zoo). I did not notice this at the time of my visit and don't know which species it was, however other Japanese zoos keep Mandarina hirasei so it was probably this one.
Otherwise all signed species were seen.
Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium nipponense
Japanese Freshwater Crab Geothelphusa dehaani
Japanese Mitten Crab Eriocheir japonica
Water Spider Argyroneta aquatica
Giant Water Bug Lethocerus deyrollei
Great Diving Beetle Cybister japonicus
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