Ueno Zoo

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  • Address
    9-83 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku
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  • Phone
    3828 5171
  • Transport
    underground rail: Chiyoda line to Nezu (south exit)
train: JR Yamanote line to Ueno (Park exit)

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Lonely Planet review

Japan's oldest zoo was established in 1882, and is home to lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). This being Asia however, most visitors head straight for the rather sweet and sleepy looking pandas, which were a gift to Japan from the government of China.

Even if you're not normally a fan of zoos, you should know that the animals in Ueno are well cared for, and all of them live in somewhat natural habitats. Although it's somewhat small compared to zoos in your own country, it's larger than you'd think given the obvious space constraints of Tokyo. Plus, all of the big name animals from around the globe are well represented here.

If you're visiting the zoo with the kids, you can take a ride on the monorail to the petting zoo, where your precious wee ones can gently run their small, sticky hands over tame domesticates such as ducks, horses and goats.