Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens
About 110 animal species and 700 plant species share 24.5 hectares beside Lake Ezu.
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Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens
SaveAbout 110 animal species and 700 plant species share 24.5 hectares beside Lake Ezu.
The zoo grounds also hold a fairground, so giraffes and a Ferris wheel are a short walk apart.
MoreWhat kind of place
Kumamoto City runs this combined zoo and botanical garden on 24.5 hectares (about 60 acres) beside Lake Ezu, close to the city center.
It keeps about 550 animals of some 110 kinds and grows about 70,000 plants of some 700 kinds. Of all the animals, the park points to the golden snub-nosed monkey, whose gold coat it calls exceptionally beautiful.
The petting area, Touch Ai Land, opened in April 2005 and is split into a play zone and a hands-on zone. On the plant side there is a Japanese garden and a large greenhouse of tropical and subtropical plants.
Sources and evidence (17)
- Free stroller loans, but only for children 7 to 24 months old.source
- Coin lockers cost 100 yen for a small one and 200 yen for a large one, and stand near the west gate on the botanical garden side and in front of Komono House by the Ferris wheel.source
- The shop near the main gate holds luggage for 300 yen per item.source
- The park sits beside Lake Ezu, not far from the center of the city, and covers 24.5 hectares (about 60 acres) in total.source
- It holds about 110 kinds of animals — 550 animals in all — and about 700 kinds of plants, roughly 70,000 plants in total.source
- Just inside the main gate on the zoo side are the monkeys, and further in you reach the tigers, elephants and giraffes.source
- The park highlights the golden snub-nosed monkey, saying its gold coat is exceptionally beautiful.source
- The animal petting area, Touch Ai Land, opened in April 2005 and has a play zone and a hands-on zone.source
- The botanical section has a Japanese garden and an arboretum, with flowers that change through the seasons.source
- The flower rest area (Hana no Kyukeijo) at the front of the botanical section has a large greenhouse and an orchid room showing tropical and subtropical plants.source
- The fairground section next door has 10 large rides and 40 small ones, priced from 10 to 200 yen.source
- The Ferris wheel costs 200 yen a ride and is open to all ages; children under 4 need an adult with them.source
- The chain tower ride costs 200 yen and is for children aged 4 and up.source
- The kids' train costs 200 yen and is open to all ages; children under 4 need an adult with them.source
- The mirror house costs 100 yen.source
- Bicycle rental is free for visitors, limited to one hour per rental on weekends and holidays.source
- The shop is on the left just inside the main gate and opens 9:00-16:45; the stand beside the Ferris wheel is not operating.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If your kids are done with days of just looking at things, they can put their hands on the animals at the petting area, Touch Ai Land.
Animals, gardens and amusement rides all sit on one set of grounds beside Lake Ezu, so when one of them stops holding your kids, the next is a short walk away rather than another trip.
The Rest House serves kids' meals from 11:00, and one of the park's three nursing rooms, the one just inside the main gate, has hot water for formula, so a bottle doesn't send you back to the car.
The animal side alone takes about two hours and the last entry is 16:30, so get in by 15:00 and you can finish it before the 17:00 close.
Sources and evidence (4)
- Enter by the west gate at 9am or 3pm, not the main gate. Rides ¥200 each from age 2; hot dog ¥430, shaved ice ¥300.source
- The fairground has 10 large rides and 40 small ones, ¥10-200 each. Golden snub-nosed monkeys are only here in Japan.source
- Ten minutes on foot from Doshokubutsuen-iriguchi tram stop; a tram day pass cuts the fee. The zoo side alone took 2 hrs.source
- Open to 21:00 on summer Saturdays (last entry 20:30), with a light show at 19:30. Eight species are off view at night.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The Ferris wheel and the children's train are open to every age, with a parent riding along for anyone under 4; both are 200 yen a go. Strollers are lent free, for children aged 7 to 24 months. The grounds run to 24.5 hectares on the shore of Lake Ezu, and just inside the zoo-side main gate come the monkeys, with tigers, elephants and giraffes further in.The loan strollers are free but limited in number and are not lent to groups; they are for children aged 7 to 24 months. There are three nursing rooms - just inside the main gate, near the information office and near the children's train - and the one inside the main gate keeps hot water for formula. Preschool children enter free. Luggage can be left at the shop near the main gate for 300 yen a piece, and there are coin lockers, 100 yen small and 200 large, near the west gate on the botanical side and in front of the Komono House by the Ferris wheel. The park closes on Mondays - the next weekday when that is a public holiday, and on the Tuesday after the fourth Monday, which stays open - and from 30 December to 1 January.
- Ages 2-3Touch Ai Land, the animal contact plaza, is split into a play zone and a petting zone. The fairground has 10 large rides and 40 small ones, priced from 10 to 200 yen. The Ferris wheel and the children's train have no lower age limit, so a child this age rides with a parent, 200 yen each. The mirror house is 100 yen.On the Ferris wheel and the children's train a child under 4 needs a parent riding with them, 200 yen each. The chain tower starts at age 4. Balls, frisbees, skipping ropes, roller skates and the like may not be brought in, and bicycles may not be ridden inside. The rest house serves a children's lunch set and has 60 seats indoors and 30 on the terrace, open 11:00-16:00 on weekdays with last orders at 15:45, and until 16:30 at weekends and on holidays. The park is open 9:00-17:00 with last admission at 16:30. The merry-go-round and Dolphin Paradise are out of service after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, and the savanna area is only partly open while it is being rebuilt.
- Ages 4-6At 4 the chain tower opens up, 200 yen. The rule that a parent must ride along on the Ferris wheel and the children's train applies only under 4, so from 4 a child rides on their own, 200 yen each. The fairground has 10 large rides and 40 small ones, from 10 to 200 yen. The zoo side holds some 110 species and 550 animals, among them the golden snub-nosed monkey, whose golden coat the park itself calls exceptional. On the botanical side, the Flower Rest House has a large greenhouse and an orchid room filled with tropical and subtropical plants.Admission is free for preschool children and 100 yen for elementary and junior-high students, 80 in a group; students living in Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu or Kagoshima city go free if they bring proof of address. Rides cost 10 to 200 yen - the chain tower is 200 yen from age 4, the Ferris wheel and children's train 200 yen each, the mirror house 100. Bicycle rental is free for visitors, capped at one hour per session at weekends and on holidays. At 24.5 hectares the grounds are large; one visitor account records about two hours on the zoo section alone. Parking is free on weekdays and 200 yen per car at weekends and on holidays for light, ordinary and medium vehicles, with space for 1,229 cars. The merry-go-round and Dolphin Paradise are out of service after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, and the savanna area is only partly open. The park is open 9:00-17:00 with last admission at 16:30.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayOutdoors. You walk a 24.5-hectare site on the shore of Lake Ezu, through the animal, plant, and amusement zones. Under a roof: the large greenhouse and orchid room at the Flower Rest Area in front of the plant zone, and the Rest House with 60 indoor seats.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Enter by the west gate at 9am or 3pm, not the main gate. Rides ¥200 each from age 2; hot dog ¥430, shaved ice ¥300.
Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens: a guide to the grounds, and the trick for skipping the queue
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
The fairground has 10 large rides and 40 small ones, ¥10-200 each. Golden snub-nosed monkeys are only here in Japan.
A full day at Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, using the free Welcome Passport
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Ten minutes on foot from Doshokubutsuen-iriguchi tram stop; a tram day pass cuts the fee. The zoo side alone took 2 hrs.
A Kumamoto trip to the city zoo and botanical gardens — the popular animals were in their dens and we missed them
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Open to 21:00 on summer Saturdays (last entry 20:30), with a light show at 19:30. Eight species are off view at night.
Summer night opening
Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens · Links & reads ▾
Where it is
5-14-2 Kengun, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto 862-0911source
Before you go
- The number of loaner strollers is limited, and they are not lent to groups.source
- Wheelchairs are also lent free of charge, in limited numbers.source
- Pets cannot come in, apart from guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs.source
- Play items such as balls, frisbees, jump ropes and roller skates cannot be brought in, and bicycles cannot be ridden inside.source
Basics
- Fee：¥500 adults & high school students · ¥100 elementary/junior high · preschoolers free. Free for elementary/junior-high residents of Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu or Kagoshima with proof of address, and for disability certificate holders plus one carer. Parking free on weekdays, ¥200 per car on weekends and holidayssource
- Hours：9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed Mondays (next weekday if a holiday); the 4th Monday is open and the following day closed instead. Closed Dec 30-Jan 1source
- Time to allow：2 hsource
- Booking：No online ticket sale is stated on the official site; groups of 30+ apply in advance via the city's e-formsourceOfficial booking site ↗
- Note: the merry-go-round and Dolphin Paradise rides are out of service after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, and part of the savanna area is closed for constructionsource
Basics in detail (18)
- Admission is 500 yen for adults and high school students. A 400 yen rate exists for groups, but the park doesn't state the number of people required.source
- Admission is 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students (80 yen for groups).source
- Preschool children enter free.source
- Elementary and junior high school students living in Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu or Kagoshima City enter free if they bring proof of residence.source
- A visitor who shows a disability certificate at the window enters free, along with one helper; the Mirairo ID app is also accepted.source
- The entire grounds have been non-smoking since April 1, 2021.source
- Parking is free on weekdays; on weekends and holidays it costs 200 yen per visit for kei, standard and mid-size cars.source
- The parking lot holds 1,229 cars and 57 buses.source
- The address is 5-14-2 Kengun, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City.source
- The merry-go-round is out of service after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (notice updated August 3, 2026).source
- Dolphin Paradise is out of service after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (notice updated August 4, 2026).source
- Work on the savanna area has closed part of it to viewing, while a section stays open.source
- By streetcar, get off at Doshokubutsuen-iriguchi and walk about 10 minutes.source
- From Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, get off at Doshokubutsuen-mae; the main gate on the zoo side is a 2-minute walk.source
- By car it is about 6.0 km, or 20 minutes, from the Mashiki-Kumamoto Airport interchange along the Daini Kuko Line toward central Kumamoto.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (3)
The grounds run 24.5 hectares along Lake Ezu, in three parts. Monkeys greet you inside the main gate, with tigers, elephants and giraffes further in, and golden snub-nosed monkeys among them. Touch Ai Land is a contact area with a play zone and a hands-on zone. The plant side has a Japanese garden, an arboretum and a glasshouse of tropical plants. The fairground holds ten large rides and forty small ones, including a Ferris wheel and a children's train.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Free stroller loan for children aged 7-24 months; numbers are limited and groups are not lent strollers. Coin lockers (¥100/¥200) at the West Gate and by the Ferris wheel; bag holding ¥300 per piece at the main-gate shop | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | ezooko.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three rooms in the park: inside the main gate, near the information desk, and near the children's train. The main-gate room has hot water for formula | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | ezooko.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Mostly outdoors over 24.5 hectares beside Lake Ezu, with indoor spots including the large greenhouse and orchid room at the botanical zone | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | ezooko.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet |