Japan 2025

I already have my plane tickets for April!

A question: I've seen that in Japan there is a lot of interest in rare pets and there may be interesting breeders. Do you know any breeders who would allow me to take photos of their rare animals in one of the cities I'm going to visit?
 
aramacao said:
I already have my plane tickets for April!

A question: I've seen that in Japan there is a lot of interest in rare pets and there may be interesting breeders. Do you know any breeders who would allow me to take photos of their rare animals in one of the cities I'm going to visit?
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Unfortunately, I don't know any private breeders to recommend. They will most likely be not open to public, especially foreigners. I'm not trying to be a racist here, but it's juat that it's a very closed community, and foreign "animal activists" are creating a really bad image of foreigners in that industry now.

There are, however, small private zoos and animal cafes that are open to public.
Maybe try one of these?

Near Tokyo Area
- Animal Resort NOAH (Private zoo by animal trading company)
https://www.instagram.com/noah.zoo

- Akiba Fukurou (Lots of rare owls)
フクロウカフェ 東京 アキバフクロウ

- Fukaya Reptile Museum (Private zoo with rare reptiles)
https://gustavewani.wixsite.com/fukayahachu

Near Osaka Area
- Rare Zoo (Exotic mammals)
https://owl-wan.com/rarezoo

There are also open exhibition events where you can see rare animals in trade.
I'll be able to help you look for one that fits your schedule if you are interested.
Here are examples:
東京レプタイルズワールド
イベント日程 | エキゾチックレプタイルエキスポ Exotic Reptile Expo

I was involved in this industry in the past, but got sick of the environment that the animals are kept. Prepare with a strong heart when you're visiting these places!
 
aramacao said:
I don't really want to go to places where animals are mistreated or stressed or kept in tiny cages. I was asking about breeders because, in theory, they take good care of their animals and have good facilities. But I appreciate the advice.
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Japanese breeders for mammals aren’t much better. I have seen blog entries of breeders breed animals such as saharan striped polecats and honey badgers in cages smaller than a fraction of my room, which is 12 meter squares large.
 
PossumRoach said:
Japanese breeders for mammals aren’t much better. I have seen blog entries of breeders breed animals such as saharan striped polecats and honey badgers in cages smaller than a fraction of my room, which is 12 meter squares large.
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Wow, so the honey badger population does really extend out of Higashiyama Zoo and North Safari Sapporo. Seriously though, as much as I like rare animals in Japanese collections, the conditions they are being kept in are sad.
 
On April 27th, I'll finally travel to Japan. There are only a few days left, and I'm starting to get nervous. I'll remind you of the list of parks I plan to visit, which I've finally included in the Ueno Zoo because of the rescued flying fox, a unique species I'd love to see, and Akiba Fukurou, an Owl Cafe with an amazing collection of rare species.

- Nagoya: Sea Life Nagoya, Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Higashima Zoo
- Hiroshima: Asa Zoo, Mariho Aquarium
- Miyajima: Miyajima Public Aquarium
- Kobe: Kobe Suma Seaworld, Kobe Animal Kingdom, Átoa, Minatoyama Aquarium, Kobe Ōji Zoo
- Kyoto: Kyoto Aquarium, Kyoto Zoo
- Tokyo: Ueno Zoo.

I'm following the threads on all the zoos, but I'd appreciate any advice. This is my second time in Japan, and I hope the trip is as great as the first.
 
aramacao said:
On April 27th, I'll finally travel to Japan. There are only a few days left, and I'm starting to get nervous. I'll remind you of the list of parks I plan to visit, which I've finally included in the Ueno Zoo because of the rescued flying fox, a unique species I'd love to see, and Akiba Fukurou, an Owl Cafe with an amazing collection of rare species.

- Nagoya: Sea Life Nagoya, Port Of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Higashima Zoo
- Hiroshima: Asa Zoo, Mariho Aquarium
- Miyajima: Miyajima Public Aquarium
- Kobe: Kobe Suma Seaworld, Kobe Animal Kingdom, Átoa, Minatoyama Aquarium, Kobe Ōji Zoo
- Kyoto: Kyoto Aquarium, Kyoto Zoo
- Tokyo: Ueno Zoo.

I'm following the threads on all the zoos, but I'd appreciate any advice. This is my second time in Japan, and I hope the trip is as great as the first.
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Hi!

Just a reminder that Mariho Aquarium closed last year. I think you removed that from your list last time, but just in case.

Japan will be in peak season for holidays, and most places will probably be crowded. Travelling around might take longer time than planned.

When visiting Higashiyama, I recommend going there in the morning. The zoo opens at 9 AM, and the nocturnal house has lights on until 10 AM. It's a little far from the entrance, but you'll have a chance to see and photograph a lot of rare species there if you go at this time.

Ueno Zoo has a lot of interesting species too, expecially in the two nocturnal houses.

Good luck with your trip, and hope you enjoy it to the best!
 
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Toki said:
Hi!

Just a reminder that Mariho Aquarium closed last year. I think you removed that from your list last time, but just in case.

Japan will be in peak season for holidays, and most places will probably be crowded. Travelling around might take longer time than planned.

When visiting Higashiyama, I recommend going there in the morning. The zoo opens at 9 AM, and the nocturnal house has lights on until 10 AM. It's a little far from the entrance, but you'll have a chance to see and photograph a lot of rare species there if you go at this time.

Ueno Zoo has a lot of interesting species too, expecially in the two nocturnal houses.

Good luck with your trip, and hope you enjoy it to the best!
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Grat info. And where is the nocturnal house?

The map of this zoo seems very confusing to me. I've circled the area I think contains animals and the botanical garden in blue. Is this correct? Or are there animals all over the park?

 
aramacao said:
The map of this zoo seems very confusing to me. I've circled the area I think contains animals and the botanical garden in blue. Is this correct? Or are there animals all over the park?
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This map from Zoochat has a marked route:
full

Higashiyama zoo map: Route - ZooChat
 
Thanks to this map, my question about whether there are animals in the botanical garden is answered: clearly not.

If the first thing to visit is the night house, I assume it's located in the vivarium. Therefore, I wouldn't actually follow the marked route, but I find it very useful nonetheless.
 
aramacao said:
Grat info. And where is the nocturnal house?

The map of this zoo seems very confusing to me. I've circled the area I think contains animals and the botanical garden in blue. Is this correct? Or are there animals all over the park?

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Hi

The blue area in this map is the botanical garden. No aninals are there.
The nocturnal house is in the same building as the Reptile House, labeled as 自然動物館 in Japanese.

You can set routes using the zoo website. It's available in English too.
東山動植物園Navi

Here's the route from main gate to the nocturnal house.
It's around 8 minutes walk.

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Looking at the map in detail right now, it doesn't seem like a gigantic zoo. I think most of the time could be spent in the vivarium and the aquarium, which is also where the rare and interesting species are concentrated. From what I can see, the collection in the rest of the zoo is generally quite average, with not many rare species.
 
aramacao said:
Akiba Fukurou
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aramacao said:
Átoa
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I honestly wouldn’t recommend going to these places. If you’re planning to go with your girlfriend, you might just end up feeling awkward and upset after seeing how poorly the animals are treated. But if you really want to witness the sad reality with your own eyes, I won’t try to stop you.

If possible, I really think you should consider going somewhere better. Japan doesn’t have any zoos that match the quality of those in Europe, but there are still some decent options.

Ueno hasn’t changed much since 2023, except for the addition of the Bonin flying fox, which is pretty interesting. Once you’ve seen that, I’d suggest heading straight to Inokashira Zoo. Last year, they started exhibiting the Tsushima marten, and just a month ago, they added the Amami spiny rat. At Inokashira, you can actually compare both subspecies of the Japanese marten. Also, for the past three years, a Japanese serow calf has been born around this time of year. It hasn’t happened yet this year, but you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse when you visit.
 
Summary of times, to check that they are adequate. I'd really like to spend as little time as possible, since I'm traveling with my girlfriend and she wants to see other things. I've set these times based on maps and zoo plans and your advice.:

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium:
-2-5 Hours

-Higashiyama Zoo
4-7 Hours

-Japan Monkey Center
2-3 Hours

-Asa Zoo
2-3 Hours

-Miyajima Aquarium
2-3 Hours

-Suma Sea World
2-4 Hours

-Kobe Animal Kingdom
2-3 Hours

-Kobe Oji Zoo
2-3 Hours

-Kyoto Aquarium
2-3 Hours

-Kyoto Zoo
2-3 Hours

- Ueno Zoo
4-6 Hours

- Akiba Fukurou
1 Hour

Please let me know if I make any mistakes, as other visits will depend on this. In fact, I'll try to reduce the time whenever possible, although I know it may be difficult.
 
Veno said:
I honestly wouldn’t recommend going to these places. If you’re planning to go with your girlfriend, you might just end up feeling awkward and upset after seeing how poorly the animals are treated. But if you really want to witness the sad reality with your own eyes, I won’t try to stop you.

If possible, I really think you should consider going somewhere better. Japan doesn’t have any zoos that match the quality of those in Europe, but there are still some decent options.

Ueno hasn’t changed much since 2023, except for the addition of the Bonin flying fox, which is pretty interesting. Once you’ve seen that, I’d suggest heading straight to Inokashira Zoo. Last year, they started exhibiting the Tsushima marten, and just a month ago, they added the Amami spiny rat. At Inokashira, you can actually compare both subspecies of the Japanese marten. Also, for the past three years, a Japanese serow calf has been born around this time of year. It hasn’t happened yet this year, but you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse when you visit.
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The only reason I'm going to visit Akiba Fukurou is for the incredible collection they keep. I know it's not my kind of place, but I've to admit that my girlfriend seems to be the one who's most excited about it, because she'll be able to have direct contact with the birds. I just want to take pictures; I'm not interested in touching anything. I've ruled out visiting Atoa

I was in Inokashira two years ago and had to choose places... I can't go back this time. I'm returning to Ueno only for the Bonin flying fox, although I'll take advantage of a quick visit, especially in the areas I liked the most (terrarium, small mammal houses, aviary...). Is the Bonin flying fox in the small mammal house? Is it easy to see?
 
aramacao said:
I was in Inokashira two years ago and had to choose places... I can't go back this time. I'm returning to Ueno only for the Bonin flying fox, although I'll take advantage of a quick visit, especially in the areas I liked the most (terrarium, small mammal houses, aviary...). Is the Bonin flying fox in the small mammal house? Is it easy to see?
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The ceiling lights are very bright, making it difficult to see the bat because of the backlighting. So I wouldn't expect to be able to take good photos there.
 
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