Ueno Zoo: Full of History and Travel Highlights

No trip to Tokyo is complete without a visit to Ueno Park, and of all the attractions on the sprawling park grounds, Ueno Zoo is a favorite destination for travelers of all kinds. Fun to visit with friends, relaxing for solo travelers, a unique date spot, and exciting for families looking for kid-friendly spots during their trip to Japan – it’s a must-see spot for anyone interested in learning more about animals! A stone’s throw away from Ueno Station, it’s easy to get to, and easy to add to any Tokyo itinerary, too.

As the very first zoological garden established in Japan, Ueno Zoo is also an icon of Tokyo history. The roots of Japan’s first zoo actually stretch back to the 1867 Paris World’s Fair, where Japanese scholars were impressed by the botanical garden and menagerie, and eventually inspired to open a Japanese version in Tokyo in 1882.

Of course, Ueno Zoo has changed a lot in the past 140+ years since its beginnings as a tiny menagerie in Ueno Park! Not only has the facility grown almost ten times in size, now housing around 300 different species of animal, but the zoo has taken on new goals as well. Ueno Zoo now participates in efforts to save multiple species of animal on the verge of extinction, and the entire facility prioritizes educational opportunities for visitors young and old, helping to create a future where people and animals of all kinds can continue to coexist! Whether you want to learn about animals from Japan (and around the world) during your travels, or you just want to see this rather grand Tokyo landmark for yourself, you’ll want to make time during your trip to Japan for a visit to Ueno Zoo – find out more and start planning your visit with the tips below!

Ueno Zoo (上野動物園)
9-83 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30 – 17:00 (may vary)
Admission: adults 600 yen | seniors 300 yen | students (13~15 y.o.) 200 yen | children free
Official Website (en)

Must-See Animals at Ueno Zoo: Cute Critters & Rare Species

Ueno Zoo’s Most Popular Animals

What animals do Ueno Zoo visitors love the most? It’s true that this historic zoo has long been known for its giant pandas, but the reality is that Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei (the two pandas at Ueno Zoo in 2025) are temporary residents, who will have to return to China by February 20, 2026. That’s not to say that Ueno Zoo will be completely panda-free in the future, though!

The zoo also keeps red pandas, known for their fuzzy features and their feisty, playful nature. In Ueno, you can peek in on their indoor jungle-gym to see them climbing or batting at each other with fluffy paws, and watch them running through the grass in their outdoor space.

The shoebill (sometimes “shoebilled stork”) might seem like a random choice, but these stoic birds are actually wildly popular in Japan, known for their piercing glare, their chunky beaks, and their ability to stand stock-still for many minutes at a time. If you get lucky, you might even catch one of the shoebills clattering its beak – a noise that’s so loud and rhythmic, it almost sounds like a taiko drum!

In late 2025, the pygmy hippopotamus enclosure has seen some big crowds, all due to one little hippo: Kobushi. Thanks in part to the popularity of his “senpai” in Thailand, Moo Deng, this adorably pudgy baby pygmy hippo has become incredibly popular in his own right! We have no doubt that Kobushi will grow up to be a handsome adult in the coming months, but we think it’s worth a trip to see him while he’s tiny!

Endemic Japanese Animals

What’s even better than seeing Japanese animals during your trip to Japan? Seeing all the efforts being made to save these species, and help them thrive both in zoos and in the wild!

One example of these important conservation efforts can be seen with the Japanese rock ptarmigan, an adorably fluffy bird whose round shape somewhat belies its cool Japanese name, “raicho” (雷鳥), which means “thunder bird.” Japanese rock ptarmigans only inhabit certain mountainous regions of Japan, and due to a chain of events triggered by global warming, their habitat is literally being eaten up by local deer. While there’s no quick fix to that problem, conservation projects at zoos around Japan are working hard to protect the birds – and you can see the fluffy avian fruits of that labor at Ueno Zoo.

The Amami jays (also called Lidth’s jays) are also proof of the zoo’s conservation efforts. These sleek birds, which you can see in their zoo enclosure outfitted in jewel-toned plumage that would fit right in on a high-fashion runway, are native to just a handful of islands in southern Japan. Sadly, the population has been severely threatened by both humans, who once hunted to birds for their beautiful feathers, and invasive mongooses. But to save the birds from extinction, Ueno Zoo has been working together with Tokyo University and a local Amami Island association, researching the jay’s nest-building behaviors and supporting the birds as they raise their chicks!

The Japanese serow is a “goat-antelope” native to the mountainous areas of Japan (except in Hokkaido), designated a “Special National Monument” by the government of Japan. And these shaggy goat-antelopes might be called an example of conservation success, after the species was hunted to near-extinction in the mid-20th century, and then bounced back by the ’70s!

At Ueno Zoo, these funny animals are maybe best known as the stars of a popular (if unofficial) zoo game, “Find the Serow.” Since the Japanese serow’s greyish-brown coat camouflages perfectly with the rocks, earth, and shrubbery of its enclosure, they can be surprisingly hard to pick out from the background. See if you can find a serow during your visit to the zoo!

Bonus: did you know Japan has its own endemic species of bats? You can see Ryukyu and Ogasawara flying foxes at the zoo, which are both surprisingly fuzzy and cute.

Animals You Won’t Want to Miss

With around 300 different species of animal at Ueno Zoo, there’s a lot to see, but there are a few that you might call “hidden gems”… or even “cult favorites.”

The Pallas’s cat might not be the most famous resident of the Ueno Zoo, but this small wild cat is incredibly popular among those in the know, thanks to its tiny little round ears and big bushy tail. Stop by the cat’s enclosure, and you can bask in its fierce glare, as it looks down on you from above.

Going from fluffy fur to almost none, the Ueno Zoo’s naked mole rats aren’t really known for their charming appearance. If you spend a few minutes spying on the rats as they scurry through their complex maze of tunnels, however, you might be won over by their sweet family dynamic. Make sure to check out their “sleeping chamber,” where they take turns providing cushioning and warmth for one another as they slumber.

If you like to “go big or go home,” you might be left feeling a little bewildered by the zoo’s Sumatran tiger, since this is one of the smallest species of tiger in the world. Of course, it’s not exactly tiny, but the Sumatran tiger looks right at home in its little forest within the confines of Ueno Zoo Park. As a cat, the zoo’s tiger tends to spend much of its day lounging on raised platforms and people-watching – make sure to visit the enclosure to give it something interesting to watch!

What to Do at Ueno Zoo: Food, Shopping, & Historic Landmarks

Delicious Zoo Dining

If you’re used to the overpriced, unimpressive dining options found at many zoos around the world, you’ll be blown away by the food at Ueno Zoo. Not only are there some truly adorable options inspired by the zoo’s residents, but it’s all genuinely tasty, and prices aren’t inflated either. There are four eateries spread around the zoo, from fast food snack stands to casual restaurants with plenty of seating, and a broad range of offerings: Japanese classics like rice bowls and the zoo’s signature beef curry, familiar favorites like hearty cheeseburgers or spaghetti and meat sauce, even authentic Indian curry and nan.

The zoo will even serve you giant panda food! The chewy “Panda Dumplings” available at the East Garden’s Bird Song and Saruyama Kitchen restaurants, as well as the West Garden’s Cafe Chameleon, are pretty much the same as a supplementary snack that’s really given to the zoo’s giant pandas! The recipe is almost identical, with a little bit of added moisture and a touch of sugar to make the texture easier for human customers to enjoy. Panda fans will be happy to hear that a portion of the proceeds from the Panda Dumplings also goes to the Giant Panda Conservation Support Fund, which contributes to the protection and conservation of giant pandas. Plus, buy a dish of the dumplings, and you’ll also get a card featuring Xiao Xiao or Lei Lei, with the dumpling recipe on the back! (As of November 2025.)

Some of the most popular dining options are the ones featuring the cutest animal themes, starting with the pork buns. The Otter Bun is almost too cute to eat, but the fragrant meat and onion filling will soon have you happily chewing away. The Panda Bun comes in an unusual full-body design, peaking out of the paper wrapper, and the filling includes plenty of bamboo, just like the giant pandas eat!

If you’ve ever wished you could try one Japan’s famous character bentos, then you’ll want to order the Panda Soy-Sauce Rice (パンダ弁当). The cute dish is shaped like a panda with shitake mushroom ears and a black bean face, arranged on a bed of flavorful sticky rice, chicken, and vegetables.

Ueno Zoo Souvenirs With Japanese Flair

Looking for a unique souvenir to bring home from Tokyo? The zoo’s gift shops have all the soft stuffed toys and cute keychains you might expect, but they also offer some fun exclusive merchandise, including traditional Japanese items. Popular animals like the zoo’s pandas, Pallas’s cat, and shoebills are featured on many of the items, so you can pick up a folding fan featuring a crouching Pallas’ cat, or bring home a cup with traditional ink-painted giant pandas. The traditional “kogire” and “tenugui” printed fabrics, featuring designs with Pallas’s cats and shoebills, make great decorations if you want to surround yourself with fond travel memories when you get back home!

Ueno Landmarks & Historic Structures

Ueno Zoo has been around for well over a century, but Ueno Park is much older still, and observant visitors will find elegant architectural traces of Ueno history on zoo grounds.

In the 1600s, Kaneiji Temple was a sprawling Buddhist complex built beside Shinobazu Pond, a body of water that now butts up against the zoo. Nowadays, the temple’s striking five-story pagoda (an officially designated Important Cultural Property) can be found inside Ueno Zoo, towering above the Japanese serow enclosure. Nearby, the Kankan-tei teahouse was constructed in the early 17th century to treat Iemitsu Tokugawa (the third Tokugawa shogun) to tea. It’s beautifully preserved to this day – a fantastic example of traditional 1600s architecture.

There’s even a traditional building from Thailand at the zoo, a Sala Thai presented to the zoo by the Kingdom of Thailand to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Friendship between Japan and the Kingdom of Thailand. It turns out, Ueno Zoo can be a pretty interesting destination for history buffs, or anyone with an interest in architecture in Japan!

Ueno Zoo Tips & Tricks: How to Make Your Trip Even Better

① Check the Calendar Before You Go
While Ueno Zoo is usually closed on Mondays, exact closure dates vary from month to month due to public holidays and occasional zoo events. Plus, special events sometimes affect opening hours, or even mean free admission on specific dates! Check the calendar on the zoo homepage before you head over to ensure things go smoothly.

② Check the Map When You Arrive
Wedged into Ueno Park and split into an “East Garden” and a “West Garden,” the zoo has a pretty unique layout. Give the map a quick look when you get to the zoo (or online beforehand) to figure out which animals you want to see, and which are nearby. That way, you won’t be running back and forth between the two zones all day! 

③ Check the Zoo Routes (Don’t Get Lost!)
Zoo staff can tell you that even after checking the map, it’s not uncommon for visitors to come and ask for directions, especially when trying to get between the East and West Garden areas. If you want to move through the zoo like a pro, here are some tips:

▶︎ East to West

Most visitors enter from the Main Gate in the East Garden. To get to the West Garden, go straight (past the monkey enclosures), and when you see the Saruyama Kitchen restaurant, turn left and follow that path.

▶︎ West to East

To get to the East Garden from the West, find the ramp that starts between the Shinobazuike Terrace seating and the Children’s Zoo, the entrance to the Aesop Bridge (いそっぷ橋), then follow that path up and around. Don’t miss the lovely view of Ueno Park (especially Shinobazu Pond) along the route!

Add This Tokyo Travel Highlight to Your Trip!

Ueno Zoo has changed a lot over the past 140 years, but one thing has stayed the same: it’s a beloved destination for both travelers and locals in Tokyo, and a great part of any visit to Ueno Park! Add the zoo to your itinerary along with other nearby spots like Ameyoko, the park’s many museums (including the Tokyo National Museum, and seasonal Ueno Park cherry blossoms, and you have the best day of your trip to Tokyo! No matter what your Japanese travel plans look like, a trip to Ueno Zoo will add plenty of “oohs,” “aahs,” and even “awws” to your adventure!

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