Find it difficult to believe that any zoo trip to Tokyo would not include Ueno. When I went there 7 years ago only an odd exhibit struck me as "dismal",then again,I love city zoos. The truth is that it is packed with interesting things and is most certainly a "full day" zoo. To go to Sumida and not Ueno strikes me as bizarre ,I would apply the same rational to Tokyo Sea Life..which is at the very least a 4 or 5 hour visit time.
Spring 2025 Japan trip planning
- Thread starter biggest_dreamer
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biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
Sumida is a 4-5 hour visit? I had figured it was considerably smaller than that! Or if you mean Tokyo Sea Life, yeah, that's about what I expected for it, which is why I considered it low priority. Sumida just happens to be in a convenient location where we already intend to spend a day, so I thought it would be fairly simple to work in. Same reason why Inokashira Park seems like a reasonable venture.
That said, I am starting to have second thoughts about excluding Ueno, but I'm still honestly not sure that I could prioritize it over Zoorasia or Tama (Saitama is non-negotiable as it's my wife's priority). Maybe I could push for another full zoo day just for Ueno, but I worry our itinerary is getting too cramped...
Dr. Wolverine
Well-Known Member
I finished Sumida in 10 minutes. The only good things there are the penguins and the cotton candy
. There is nothing there that is worth seeing or spending a full day on, and their tickets are more expensive than most facilities. Inokashira on the other hand is a magnificent City zoo that focuses mainly on the conservation and representation of Japanese Species, with a few exceptions of overseas species. You will spend a good 2-3 hours there. You should definitely exclude Sumida and replace it with Ueno.
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
That makes sense, but again, the only reason I was even really considering Sumida was that it was right next to other non-zoo things we intend to do anyway, so it seemed easy enough to fit in. I wouldn't be able to replace it with Ueno, since Ueno sounds like a full-day activity and we'll still be spending most of that day in the Skytree area. If I want to work in Ueno, I'd have to drop either Tama or Zoorasia, or figure out a way to work in another full-zoo day which feels unlikely.I finished Sumida in 10 minutes. The only good things there are the penguins and the cotton candy
From my point of view, if you have to choose, I would never sacrifice Ueno. Tama has a good collection but Ueno's is superior and Ueno is much more attractive in my opinion (Tama disappointed me a lot, I only loved the invertebrate area, the rest seemed very normal to me). Zoorasia is a beautiful zoo, one of the few in Japan of a European or American style, but the collection has few rarities compared to Ueno. Without a doubt, I would prioritize Ueno over those two zoos.
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
So as it stands, we're looking to lock in the trip for either April 5-19 or 12-26 of 2025. Not sure if we’re going to have a firm date until we start booking things, but that’s going to have to happen startlingly soon.
I’ve more or less come around to Ueno being a must-visit. I was partially hesitant to commit because I wanted to leave some days open for things we potentially hadn’t thought of yet, but here we are 6 months into researching and I’ve still got an open day so I think it’ll work.
It, Tama, Zoorasia, and Saitama will each be getting a full day (or at least the better part of a day) devoted to them. Inokashira Park will happen as long as we get a ticket for the Ghibli Museum, and Sunshine Aquarium has risen from a “possibly” to a “probably” (and this thread has sold me on Sumida not even being worth it as a time waster). Nogeyama is still firmly in the “might pop in for 30 minutes if there’s time” camp, though. I think those are the only zoos currently in serious consideration.
The one day that I would love to find one more thing to fit in is going to be spent in Sukagawa for the Eiji Tsuburaya museum. There’s a neat looking peony garden here too, but beyond that I can’t find anything nearby. Nasu Animal Kingdom looks like it should be a potential stop, but Google suggests it would add about 2 hours of transit time which seems excessive for something my heart isn’t really in yet. Are there any other destinations in that area I might want to consider?
I’ve more or less come around to Ueno being a must-visit. I was partially hesitant to commit because I wanted to leave some days open for things we potentially hadn’t thought of yet, but here we are 6 months into researching and I’ve still got an open day so I think it’ll work.
It, Tama, Zoorasia, and Saitama will each be getting a full day (or at least the better part of a day) devoted to them. Inokashira Park will happen as long as we get a ticket for the Ghibli Museum, and Sunshine Aquarium has risen from a “possibly” to a “probably” (and this thread has sold me on Sumida not even being worth it as a time waster). Nogeyama is still firmly in the “might pop in for 30 minutes if there’s time” camp, though. I think those are the only zoos currently in serious consideration.
The one day that I would love to find one more thing to fit in is going to be spent in Sukagawa for the Eiji Tsuburaya museum. There’s a neat looking peony garden here too, but beyond that I can’t find anything nearby. Nasu Animal Kingdom looks like it should be a potential stop, but Google suggests it would add about 2 hours of transit time which seems excessive for something my heart isn’t really in yet. Are there any other destinations in that area I might want to consider?
I’ll be honest with you: while I do follow Nasu Animal Kingdom and enjoy watching it grow, it isn’t a park I’d expect other zoochatters to enjoy. The species there could be found in other zoos in or near Tokyo (except for the Atlantic puffins but you can see them in the US) and while many of the enclosures are better than some municipal zoos’ brutalist and concrete enclosures, they won’t knock your socks off and some of them could even be considered questionable (the red river hog pen and jaguar enclosure come to mind). The zoo being far out of reach and expensive (2600 yen/17.41 usd) compared to many other zoos doesn’t help either. But then again I hadn’t been there so my observations aren’t as precise as someone who as been there (such as @Veno ).
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I’ve realized that the Tsuburaya museum might not be as feasible as it first seemed… It’s just 2 hours away from our desired hotel, which is in line with Tama and Zoorasia so it seemed fine, but I noticed that it’s on the shinkansen almost the entire way which results in a whopping 8680 yen, or $57.61 USD fare each way, for two people. Actually the return trip looks a bit cheaper, but that’s still $200 just in transit which… I’m a huge tokusatsu nut but I’m really not sure if I can justify that given the countless other expenses this trip will involve. Thankfully all the zoos and most of the transit will be astonishingly cheap, but I’m probably going to be on the fence about this one for a while.I would love to read any reviews of the facilities you visit, and I would also be very curious for your thoughts on the Eiji Tsubaraya museum.
Or maybe I just need to start looking into prepaid rail passes again. I know the JR Pass that I researched some months ago isn’t supposed to be that good anymore and was questionable for my purposes in the first place, but I wonder if there’s anything else worth considering…
If you're interested in seeing Blakiston's fish owl during your visit to Japan, it might be worth stopping by when it's exhibited in spring, although the exact date hasn't been confirmed yet. Currently, this owl isn't found in zoos in the Tokyo area. However, if it isn't exhibited this spring, you can still see all of Nasu's rare species at zoos in the Tokyo area. While Nasu's enclosures are considered beautiful by many Japanese visitors, but many are small and do not meet Western standards. The bird of prey cages, in particular, are very small for most species, with only a few exceptions.
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biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
That seems exciting to see, but I'm still not sure a single species warrants the stop. It seems strange to say the shoebills aren't compelling, but by the point I visit here I'll have visited both US collections with them, as well as have Ueno in the same trip, so they really aren't going to be a draw. The only other thing that catches my eye with some basic Googling are their arctic wolves - are those anywhere in Tokyo?
No but if ZTL is to be trusted those wolves might be misidentified since their origins (Olomouc and Osnabrück) are listed under the misidentified wolf list.
SeaOtterHQ
Well-Known Member
Since your trip hasn't taken place yet, let me suggest that you add Sumida Aquarium back on your itinerary assuming you're going to be in the Tokyo Skytree area anyway. It doesn't deserve the bad rap it's getting in this thread. Yes, it's small and on the pricey side, but it has well-designed exhibits and it's a cozy place to spend 90 minutes. It's one of the few aquaria that manages to make goldfish interesting (the exhibit has a cool Edo Period aesthetic).
It depends on what your preferences are. Would you enjoy an aquarium that's designed more like an art gallery or do you prioritize a large/rare collection of species? I happen to like both options, but others might not find the "artsiness" as compelling. Then again I'm a big fan of Takashi Amano and his aquascapes. Maybe google some of Amano's work and decide if it's the kind of thing you'd enjoy seeing in person? I've included video samples below. That said, the best Amano exhibit is at the Lisbon Oceanarium, not at Sumida.
Among the aquaria you're considering, I will join those recommending the Tokyo Sea Life Park as well. The other Japanese aquaria that would interest you - Aquamarine Fukushima, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, and Toba Aquarium - are unfortunately out of the way and you probably wouldn't have time to include them in your schedule, but if you can, any one of those is worth it.
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
Now that 2025 is here I figured I should update this thread by saying that for a variety of circumstances, this trip got delayed by a year. I'm still fully committed to all of the zoos I outlined here, and am sort of redoubling my efforts to make this happen in this coming year. Spring 2026 can't come soon enough.
Apparently at some point we (or perhaps just my wife) decided the Tsubaraya museum would be a definite no, which I have no recollection of. Pricing concerns or not, I still really want to make it happen because going to Japan without actually engaging in anything kaiju-related seems like such a missed opportunity.
I've been lurking around the Toho Kingdom forums again for the first time in over a decade this past year (I have become helplessly addicted to MMS figures) and noticed your username there which I recognized from here. Wondered if it was the same person, and I guess that is the case now that I see these posts again lol.I would love to read any reviews of the facilities you visit, and I would also be very curious for your thoughts on the Eiji Tsubaraya museum.
Apparently at some point we (or perhaps just my wife) decided the Tsubaraya museum would be a definite no, which I have no recollection of. Pricing concerns or not, I still really want to make it happen because going to Japan without actually engaging in anything kaiju-related seems like such a missed opportunity.
I'm sorry your trip has to be delayed. I'll finally be going back to Japan this year and will be there for 3 weeks in april and may. Unfortunately, I have already visited all the zoos and aquariums on your list and I don't plan to do so again as I will be visiting new ones. But anyway, maybe I can help you with something else.
Sorry to hear there was a delay but best of luck there isn't another!
Haha, good to see you! I'm a big fan of the Movie Monster Series, yeah! Looking forward to the dream five box set, as you know.
I would definitely feel that way if I were to visit Japan. Almost everything I know about Japan today which now goes beyond the genre still feels like it uses my interest in kaiju films as a strong foundation, even the things that actually don't. It's a fascinating country.
I'm a little sad to hear that your trip was delayed, but I'm happy to hear that you plan to visit a Japanese zoo in 2026. I wish you and your family all the best in your experience in Japan.
I've recently been to most of the zoos and aquariums you have mentioned, so I thought I'd provide you with some updated species lists etc. All of them are really easy to get to with public transport.
Of the zoos - I would definitely prioritise Inokashira Park Zoo because it is almost solely native Japanese species and the enclosures are good for the most part. It is a quite small zoo but far superior enclosure-wise to Ueno which has a lot of truly dire cages. Tama is fine - I was disappointed in it but it isn't a bad zoo, the insect houses are fantastic, and of course it has the Mole House. Saitama Childrens Zoo was a real surprise, with enclosures being almost all good to excellent, and it has a lot of interesting exotic (non-Japanese) species. I didn't visit Zoorasia.
Inokashira Park Zoo species list, January 2025 [Inokashira Park Zoo]
Ueno Zoo - visit and species list: February 2025 [Ueno Zoo]
Tama Zoo visit and species list, March 2025 [Tama Zoo]
Saitama Childrens Zoo species list, March 2025
Aquariums: Sumida is either love it or hate it - you wouldn't know until you've visited. It left me entirely unimpressed and I wouldn't personally recommend it as a choice - however it is easy to combine with other things because of its location. Tokyo Sea Life Park was excellent, the best of the Tokyo aquariums and if you had to choose just one then this is the one I would recommend. For Sunshine, I really liked the aquarium side of things but the mammal side of things is bad. Most of these are kept outside, so you can easily skip that part, but the Baikal Seals which would be the main reason for your visit are inside and are in a pitiful tank. I'll put a photo below so you can judge whether you want to see them like that - the photo shows the entire tank. Sunshine is also really confusing to find!
I'd also add my vote for Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai. It is about two hours by train from Tokyo but it is an easy day-trip and the aquarium has a superb shark collection.
Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai, visit January 2025 [Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium]