Shizuoka with a toddler (2–3) 4 spots
Shizuoka is Mount Fuji facing the sea, with tea planted on the slopes in between. Its safari park drives you past lions with the mountain itself in the background, and the Izu coast has warm beaches and hot springs.
A safari park you drive through in your own car, past lions and elephants.
Stroller OK · Nursing room · Changing table · checked Aug ’26
A zoo of about 130 species on 13 hectares, with a 390-meter roller slide.
Stroller OK · Nursing room · Changing table · checked Aug ’26
An aquarium built into a natural cove on Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest.
Stroller OK · Nursing room · Changing table · checked Aug ’26
Sawayaka Charcoal Grill Restaurant, Shizuoka Ikeda
A charcoal-grill restaurant found only in Shizuoka, serving a 250g hamburg steak.
Stroller OK · checked Aug ’26
The Fureai Zone — Fureai Bokujo and Doubutsu Mura — is the walking part of the park, where small animals can be touched, and it is included in the admission price. After the drive-through, this is where a toddler gets out and uses their own legs.Children 3 and under enter free (from 4 it is 2,000 yen). Strollers cannot be taken onto the Jungle Bus — leave them at the stroller area beside the information desk. Some activities, such as pony rides, animal feeding and the Dog House, cost extra. Bring a packed lunch and you may use any bench or lawn; on rainy days there is a free indoor rest area. The park asks that you not feed your own food to the animals. There is no re-entry, so take what you need out of the car before you go in.
In the amusement area the small rides are 100 yen each, and the Animal Carousel and Playing in Water with the Animals are 300 yen each, so after the animals there is something a toddler rides themselves. Fushigi na Mori no Shiro, the Mysterious Forest Castle, is built for pretending to be an animal or a keeper.The 390-metre roller slide starts at 4, so at this age the Animal Carousel and the small rides are the ones to head for; from 4 a child rides it seated with a parent. Rental strollers only go up to age 2, so bring your own for a three-year-old. Children's toilets are in three places: beside the Information Corner, in the visitor centre and in the petting zoo. Lost children are handled at the Information Corner or by any nearby staff member. The zoo asks you not to bring balls, balloons, insect nets or insect cages.
Sunaasobi Beach is a big indoor sandpit, using antibacterial sand. Mitosea mini Paradise packs hands-on play equipment, a ball pool and that indoor sandpit into one corner, so looking at tanks turns straight into moving about. Isoasobi Beach is a shallow pool where the fish are alive and a child can chase them.Isoasobi Beach soaks children through, so bring towels and a change of clothes. Children up to 3 enter free (1,300 yen from age 4). Packed lunches are allowed and can be eaten at the tables, chairs and benches around Mitosea mini Paradise and the Dolphin Sea, and in the seating of the show stadium and the Dolphin Sea show stage. There is no restaurant inside; a takeaway counter beside the show stadium sells curry, pasta, hot dogs and the like. If a child goes missing, any nearby staff member can put out an announcement.
A child picks their own plate from the children's menu: kids' hamburg steak (low-allergen) 610 yen, kids' curry (low-allergen) 470 yen, kids' spaghetti 580 yen. There is also kids' pudding at 280 yen, grape jelly at 110 yen, vanilla ice cream at 250 yen and kids' milk at 110 yen. The child seats are for children under five.There are no reservations; you take a numbered ticket and wait your turn. At Shizuoka Ikeda ticketing opens at 9:30 and the shop at 10:45 (10:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). Ticketing from a phone works only within 15 km of the shop and needs location services on for the phone and the LINE app. If you take a ticket before opening, the estimated wait shown counts from opening time. If you are away when your number is called the ticket goes on hold, and if you do not arrive within 30 minutes it is cancelled automatically, so stay near the shop as your turn approaches. The lunch menu runs Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 10:45-15:00 and Sat 10:30-15:00, and is served to customers seated by 15:00 (not available on Sundays, holidays or special-hours days).