Joyama Zoo (Nagano, Japan): (20 February 2025)
Joyama Zoo is a small free-entry zoo in Nagano, on the island of Honshu. It is in Joyama Park, near Zenkoji Temple, and is easily accessible by subway or walking.
I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to visit this zoo because it is very small, but if you have some spare time it is easy to fit in a visit.
The zoo officially opened in 1961, although the macaque island and sealion pool had been completed in 1958 and 1960 respectively. There is a big display board at the zoo detailing the facility's history. On opening day they had 22 mammals of six species, and 329 birds of 43 species.
The zoo is now aimed at children, and includes amusement rides and a petting zoo (with rabbits, guinea pigs, and a miniature horse).
As might be expected for a sixty year old Japanese zoo the cages are mostly very small, the sealion pool especially so. The row of monkey and pheasant cages are also not exactly large. However there are a couple of large aviaries for birds and Japanese Squirrels, and the pelicans also have a large pen. If they got rid of the sealions entirely, and built some larger monkey cages then the zoo would be fine.
Joyama Zoo historical time-line signage - ZooChat
Photos are in the Japan Other gallery: Japan - Other - ZooChat
MAMMALS:
Ring-tailed Lemur
Common Squirrel Monkey
Black-capped Capuchin
Lion-tailed Macaque
Japanese Macaque
Californian Sealion
Miniature Horse
Yakushima Sika Deer (Cervus nippon yakushimae)
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
domestic Rabbit
domestic Guinea Pig
domestic Chinchilla
Japanese Squirrel (Sciurus lis) [in two enclosures, but did not see them in either]
BIRDS:
Humboldt Penguin
domestic Chinese Goose
domestic Duck
domestic Muscovy Duck
Mandarin Duck (normal birds and white mutations)
Little Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great White Pelican
Caribbean Flamingo
Chilean Flamingo
Japanese Green Pheasant
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Golden Pheasant (yellow mutation)
domestic Fantail Dove
REPTILES:
two species of turtles with only Japanese names on the sign [neither seen because it is winter]
Joyama Zoo is a small free-entry zoo in Nagano, on the island of Honshu. It is in Joyama Park, near Zenkoji Temple, and is easily accessible by subway or walking.
I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to visit this zoo because it is very small, but if you have some spare time it is easy to fit in a visit.
The zoo officially opened in 1961, although the macaque island and sealion pool had been completed in 1958 and 1960 respectively. There is a big display board at the zoo detailing the facility's history. On opening day they had 22 mammals of six species, and 329 birds of 43 species.
The zoo is now aimed at children, and includes amusement rides and a petting zoo (with rabbits, guinea pigs, and a miniature horse).
As might be expected for a sixty year old Japanese zoo the cages are mostly very small, the sealion pool especially so. The row of monkey and pheasant cages are also not exactly large. However there are a couple of large aviaries for birds and Japanese Squirrels, and the pelicans also have a large pen. If they got rid of the sealions entirely, and built some larger monkey cages then the zoo would be fine.
Joyama Zoo historical time-line signage - ZooChat
Photos are in the Japan Other gallery: Japan - Other - ZooChat
MAMMALS:
Ring-tailed Lemur
Common Squirrel Monkey
Black-capped Capuchin
Lion-tailed Macaque
Japanese Macaque
Californian Sealion
Miniature Horse
Yakushima Sika Deer (Cervus nippon yakushimae)
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
domestic Rabbit
domestic Guinea Pig
domestic Chinchilla
Japanese Squirrel (Sciurus lis) [in two enclosures, but did not see them in either]
BIRDS:
Humboldt Penguin
domestic Chinese Goose
domestic Duck
domestic Muscovy Duck
Mandarin Duck (normal birds and white mutations)
Little Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great White Pelican
Caribbean Flamingo
Chilean Flamingo
Japanese Green Pheasant
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Golden Pheasant (yellow mutation)
domestic Fantail Dove
REPTILES:
two species of turtles with only Japanese names on the sign [neither seen because it is winter]