It is housed in the small mammals house.
Japan 2025
- Thread starter aramacao
- Start date
So what you said a few months ago could be easily dismissed when rarities and life ticks are involved then?
Have a look at my species list for Ueno Zoo. The second post lists the species of the Small Mammal House and Nocturnal Houses in the order they are displayed.
No, not at all. I don't visit circuses or centers where I know animals are mistreated. But I want to visit one of these places, famous around the world, and see what they're really like and what they do there, form an opinion for myself, and then transmit a real opinion. So far in Japan, I haven't visited any center where I can confirm that animals are mistreated, although I have visited several where the accommodations were mediocre and where I wouldn't return.
Anyway, my intention isn't to start a debate here. This can certainly be discussed in other threads, or we can even talk about it privately, as it's a very interesting topic, but it would deviate from the focus of this thread, which is a specific trip for which I'm asking for help and advice.
Thank you! Where can I see it?
Just because there aren’t tricks and clowns involved doesn’t mean the animal is not mistreated. Hell, you bringing up circuses is moot to this and only sounds like a desperate attempt at further justifying your visit to the owl cafe. We are talking about a facility where multiple species of owls are kept in a well-lit room close to each other and the animals are tethered for visitors and staff to move around for petting and moving around for pictures. You can tell, without having to visit, by looking at the pictures shared by the cafe itself.
You are not the first person who tried to weasel their way out of me asking a question regarding ethics or legality by telling me to taking it to the private messages. But I will respect your wishes and not further engage in this side discussion.
However, and this goes for anyone reading this, I will say this: Next time try to pick a lane between flexing your moral concerns or go life-ticks at all costs. If you choose to do the former then at least try to be low-key about the latter and try to avoid sharing how far you are willing to go. If you won’t then don’t get mad when people call you out, it’s that chimple.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not angry. I respect your opinion. I just don't want to derail the focus of this thread.
If you want to continue the discussion in public, I'm willing to do so publicly, but in a separate thread. I think that, as long as the manner is correct, there's nothing wrong with expressing diverse opinions.
If you want to continue the discussion in public, I'm willing to do so publicly, but in a separate thread. I think that, as long as the manner is correct, there's nothing wrong with expressing diverse opinions.
Hello everyone.
I just wanted to refresh this thread to let you know that I'm finally traveling on Sunday. I'll be rereading this thread in the coming days to remember everything you told me, and once again, I want to thank you all for your invaluable help.
I just wanted to refresh this thread to let you know that I'm finally traveling on Sunday. I'll be rereading this thread in the coming days to remember everything you told me, and once again, I want to thank you all for your invaluable help.
Once I'm back from my trip to Japan, I can share some information about the places I visited. Obviously, I'll answer any questions you may have.
- Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium: An excellent aquarium overall. A good collection with quite a few interesting species, some new to me. Overall, the facilities are good to very good for almost all the animals. The pig-nosed turtle aquarium is impressive; I've never seen so many specimens together, and they even reproduce. I have dounbsts with the cetaceans. Although the facilities are spacious (I think their dolphin pool is the largest in Japan and probably one of the largest I've seen), I still think these animals don't thrive in captivity, especially the orcas.
- Higashiyama Zoo: Many contrasts: some facilities are spectacular (vivarium, nocturnal animal house, Medaka building) with wonderful animal collections. Overall, the animal collection is very interesting, and in this regard, the zoo is highly recommended. However, many facilities are outdated, small, extremely artificial, and don't appear to be in good condition. Some animals live in cages typical of menageries. I've seen that the zoo is building new facilities for some of these animals, but I find it insufficient. In short: an excellent zoological collection, but the zoo itself could be improved in many ways.
- Asa Zoo: A zoo I wouldn't return to. Overall, the facilities are poor, unattractive, and very simple. I think only a few animals actually live good in this zoo, perhaps the rhinos and buffalos, which have large spaces, but little else. The main reason for the visit was the forest elephants, and I saw them perfectly, but it was very sad to see where they live. I think this zoo needs a complete overhaul. I didn't even like the small animal exhibits, such as reptiles and amphibians, which are usually excellent in Japan.
- Miyajima Public Aquarium: A very interesting animal collection, with many species I've never seen before. In contrast, the facilities were too simple, many aquariums looked like empty tanks with the animals as their only attraction, and they were too small. The overall impression was very sad. It's a shame, considering the surroundings are so spectacular. Especially seeing the porpoises, pinnipeds, and penguins in those exhibits... sad.
- Kobe Suma Seaworld: Again, contrasts: the cetaceans have large pools, although I always find them insufficient. I was surprised that the educational contribution in the shows is practically nonexistent, and the orca show also includes exercises with a lot of direct contact with the animals. I was surprised. The building dedicated to other animals has an interesting, though not extraordinary, collection. I found the pinniped enclosures horrible, but the penguin enclosure quite good. The aquariums, in general, are very decent. I probably wouldn't go back; this place doesn't offer many interesting things.
- Kobe Animal Kingdom: The big surprise of this trip. Truly excellent. Although it's not perfect (some animals, like pumas, raccoons, coatis, and skunks, need more space), it's very attractive, offering a tour full of surprises, great close-up views of the animals, and an interesting collection. My main target, the striped possum, was observed and photographed with relative ease. I found some of the facilities to be excellent. I think the pinnipeds need deeper water, however. But overall, I found it to be an excellent place. Not perfect, but recommendable.
- Kobe Ōji Zoo: Another place I probably wouldn't return to. Although there are exceptions, the facilities are generally very much in need of improvement, and I don't think most of the animals living here are happy. Unfortunately, the building housing most of the species I was interested in was closed. Furthermore, other interesting animals were difficult to see. It wasn't the most pleasant visit. I think it could be a good zoo, but it needs a lot of changes.
- Kyoto Aquarium: A decent aquarium, but far from extraordinary. A visit doesn't take long and it features some interesting species, but it's not worth traveling to the city just for it. Approved.
- Kyoto Zoo: Another zoo with significant room for improvement. I don't quite understand this obsession in Japan with fences, bars, and grilles, this way of establishing visual barriers between animals and visitors that are often unnecessary. This zoo is a clear example of this. The collection also doesn't offer many rarities.
- Ueno Zoo: My second visit to this zoo, one of Japan's most important, was mainly to see the extremely rare Bonin flying fox. I was able to see it, although it spent the entire day sleeping under a spotlight, and the photos are mediocre. Otherwise, the zoo is practically the same as when I visited two years ago. I only saw minor changes: there are no more okapi, the tarsier has been moved to a smaller exhibit, and its original cage now houses Demidoff's bushbabies, the aviary is practically empty, and the deer were not visible for "animal health reasons." Therefore, this zoo still has the same strengths and weaknesses as when I visited it the first time: an excellent collection and many outdated and, above all, small facilities, although the surroundings are generally attractive.
- Akiba Fukurou: An owl cafe. I'd never been to a place like this before, and the sensations are strange. On this trip with my girlfriend, I visited a cat cafe, and she visited a dog cafe alone, while I visited a zoo. However, an owl cafe is very different because they're wild animals. I must say that the animals looked in very good condition, perfectly healthy, and the advice they gave indicated how to treat them carefully and gently, without sudden movements or loud noises. My girlfriend was delighted because the owl she got was very affectionate and appreciated being petted. I mainly took photos, although they didn't have all the species I was looking for. However, it's true that I don't know how they keep these animals when the place is closed. Therefore, I can't offer a reliable assessment of the place.
- Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium: An excellent aquarium overall. A good collection with quite a few interesting species, some new to me. Overall, the facilities are good to very good for almost all the animals. The pig-nosed turtle aquarium is impressive; I've never seen so many specimens together, and they even reproduce. I have dounbsts with the cetaceans. Although the facilities are spacious (I think their dolphin pool is the largest in Japan and probably one of the largest I've seen), I still think these animals don't thrive in captivity, especially the orcas.
- Higashiyama Zoo: Many contrasts: some facilities are spectacular (vivarium, nocturnal animal house, Medaka building) with wonderful animal collections. Overall, the animal collection is very interesting, and in this regard, the zoo is highly recommended. However, many facilities are outdated, small, extremely artificial, and don't appear to be in good condition. Some animals live in cages typical of menageries. I've seen that the zoo is building new facilities for some of these animals, but I find it insufficient. In short: an excellent zoological collection, but the zoo itself could be improved in many ways.
- Asa Zoo: A zoo I wouldn't return to. Overall, the facilities are poor, unattractive, and very simple. I think only a few animals actually live good in this zoo, perhaps the rhinos and buffalos, which have large spaces, but little else. The main reason for the visit was the forest elephants, and I saw them perfectly, but it was very sad to see where they live. I think this zoo needs a complete overhaul. I didn't even like the small animal exhibits, such as reptiles and amphibians, which are usually excellent in Japan.
- Miyajima Public Aquarium: A very interesting animal collection, with many species I've never seen before. In contrast, the facilities were too simple, many aquariums looked like empty tanks with the animals as their only attraction, and they were too small. The overall impression was very sad. It's a shame, considering the surroundings are so spectacular. Especially seeing the porpoises, pinnipeds, and penguins in those exhibits... sad.
- Kobe Suma Seaworld: Again, contrasts: the cetaceans have large pools, although I always find them insufficient. I was surprised that the educational contribution in the shows is practically nonexistent, and the orca show also includes exercises with a lot of direct contact with the animals. I was surprised. The building dedicated to other animals has an interesting, though not extraordinary, collection. I found the pinniped enclosures horrible, but the penguin enclosure quite good. The aquariums, in general, are very decent. I probably wouldn't go back; this place doesn't offer many interesting things.
- Kobe Animal Kingdom: The big surprise of this trip. Truly excellent. Although it's not perfect (some animals, like pumas, raccoons, coatis, and skunks, need more space), it's very attractive, offering a tour full of surprises, great close-up views of the animals, and an interesting collection. My main target, the striped possum, was observed and photographed with relative ease. I found some of the facilities to be excellent. I think the pinnipeds need deeper water, however. But overall, I found it to be an excellent place. Not perfect, but recommendable.
- Kobe Ōji Zoo: Another place I probably wouldn't return to. Although there are exceptions, the facilities are generally very much in need of improvement, and I don't think most of the animals living here are happy. Unfortunately, the building housing most of the species I was interested in was closed. Furthermore, other interesting animals were difficult to see. It wasn't the most pleasant visit. I think it could be a good zoo, but it needs a lot of changes.
- Kyoto Aquarium: A decent aquarium, but far from extraordinary. A visit doesn't take long and it features some interesting species, but it's not worth traveling to the city just for it. Approved.
- Kyoto Zoo: Another zoo with significant room for improvement. I don't quite understand this obsession in Japan with fences, bars, and grilles, this way of establishing visual barriers between animals and visitors that are often unnecessary. This zoo is a clear example of this. The collection also doesn't offer many rarities.
- Ueno Zoo: My second visit to this zoo, one of Japan's most important, was mainly to see the extremely rare Bonin flying fox. I was able to see it, although it spent the entire day sleeping under a spotlight, and the photos are mediocre. Otherwise, the zoo is practically the same as when I visited two years ago. I only saw minor changes: there are no more okapi, the tarsier has been moved to a smaller exhibit, and its original cage now houses Demidoff's bushbabies, the aviary is practically empty, and the deer were not visible for "animal health reasons." Therefore, this zoo still has the same strengths and weaknesses as when I visited it the first time: an excellent collection and many outdated and, above all, small facilities, although the surroundings are generally attractive.
- Akiba Fukurou: An owl cafe. I'd never been to a place like this before, and the sensations are strange. On this trip with my girlfriend, I visited a cat cafe, and she visited a dog cafe alone, while I visited a zoo. However, an owl cafe is very different because they're wild animals. I must say that the animals looked in very good condition, perfectly healthy, and the advice they gave indicated how to treat them carefully and gently, without sudden movements or loud noises. My girlfriend was delighted because the owl she got was very affectionate and appreciated being petted. I mainly took photos, although they didn't have all the species I was looking for. However, it's true that I don't know how they keep these animals when the place is closed. Therefore, I can't offer a reliable assessment of the place.
I forgot to talk about the Japan Monkey Center. In my opinion, this is a place that no animal lover can enjoy. The vast majority of primates live in small cages with virtually no stimulation. There are exceptions, but overall, I consider the quality of life of the animals here to be poor. The collection is excellent, and they maintain some rare animals, but since they're kept in cages, taking photos is extremely difficult. I can't recommend this visit. It's sad that, despite being a place with so much space and in a rather beautiful setting, 90% of the animals are kept in cages of bars and concrete, although I've seen that this is a general trend with primates in Japan, even in the most important zoos. Only a few species live on islands with vegetation and plenty of space, but the vast majority don't. I was even surprised to see a solitary male gorilla living in a cage, although it's true that in this case, it was a good size and had vegetation.
Most Japanese zoos are municipal-manages which is why they don’t get any needed upgrades on time and build whatever is cost effective, which is why there are still new enclosures that don’t suit appeal to nature. Albeit I just say this as a foreign observer, so I might not have an idea as good as Japanese zoos people such as @Toki or @Veno .
When I was looking up the place to write my response, I found this place claim that they support organizations such as Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife Australia, and WWF (oh the irony). I found it surprising since most other exotic animal cafes and roadside zoos in Japan don’t even bother greenwashing themselves. So if Akiba Fukurou does in fact support organizations to help wild birds I guess you can feel less shame than going to just some other place. Hope you enjoyed the life ticks.
