Ueno Zoo Museum

Address: Ueno Park (9-83 Uenokoen), Taito City, Tokyo 110-8711, Japan

Website: https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ueno/

Hours: Daily 9:30am-5pm, closed Mondays (open if Monday is a national holiday)

Admission: Adult ¥700 (check website for concessions and family rates)

Ueno Zoo is a municipal zoo in Tokyo located within Ueno Park and is the oldest zoo in Japan, established in 1882. It is one of the city’s major zoological attractions and houses hundreds of species.

The zoo is arranged into two main sections, the East and West Gardens, with animal exhibits ranging from giant pandas and primates to birds, reptiles and large mammals across those areas. Visitor amenities include educational displays, feeding schedules and seasonal programming, with accessibility from central Tokyo.

Opened in 1882 as Japan’s first zoo, Ueno Zoo has expanded and modernized its facilities over many decades while maintaining its central role in Tokyo’s public and educational life. Exhibits and exhibits’ designs have evolved to emphasize conservation, husbandry and visitor education.

The zoo sits inside Ueno Park in Taito ward, within central Tokyo, adjacent to museums, temples and major rail links including Ueno Station.

• Age and location: Japan’s oldest zoo, opened in 1882, and located inside Ueno Park in central Tokyo, making it easily accessible by public transport.
• Layout and panda exhibit: The grounds are divided into East and West Gardens linked by paths and transport routes, with the giant panda exhibit located in the East Garden.

What to See#

• East Garden: East Garden contains the giant panda exhibit and several of the zoo’s primate and small mammal houses, concentrated near the park-facing entrance.
• West Garden: West Garden hosts larger mammals and birds and provides more open enclosures and grassy areas for species such as elephants and big cats.

Ueno Zoo is inside Ueno Park in Tokyo. The zoo is a short walk (about 5-10 minutes) from JR Ueno Station, which is served by the JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tōhoku lines (and several other JR lines), and from the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya subway lines at Ueno Station.

Follow signs for Ueno Park from the station exits; the zoo has several entrances around the park. Public transport is the usual way to reach Ueno - on‑site parking is limited.

• Arrive at opening to see the giant pandas and other popular enclosures before crowds build; first-hour visits also make photography easier and viewing lines shorter.
• Enter from the Ueno Park side closest to Ueno Station for the most direct access to the zoo's main gate and to combine the visit smoothly with nearby museums and transport links.
• Check the zoo's official site for any timed-entry or capacity controls (implemented periodically) and for special feeding/demonstration schedules so you can plan your route to less-visited exhibits between peak panda times.