---
name: "Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens"
lat: 35.1565
lng: 136.9818
official_url: "https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/"
fee: "¥500 for adults (high school and up); free for junior-high students and younger (junior-high students should bring a student ID). Nagoya residents aged 65 and over pay ¥100 with ID. A combined ticket including Higashiyama Sky Tower is ¥640 (¥160 for Nagoya residents 65+), and a one-year passport is ¥2,000 (¥600). One ticket covers both the zoo and the botanical garden. Showing a valid subway day pass (Ichinichi Josyaken, Donichi Eco Kippu or the 24-hour subway ticket) takes the adult fare down to ¥400"
last_verified: "2026-08-14"
---

# Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Giraffes and lions live in the main zoo, beside one of Japan's largest Asian elephant houses. Its indoor gallery explains how elephants live, and koalas are watched through glass from a dimmed walkway. Feeding is around 13:00 for koalas and 13:30 for giraffes. The north half holds a museum built around medaka killifish and rare freshwater fish. In the botanical garden, plants follow the hill's natural contours, and the front greenhouse is a national cultural property. A thatched farmhouse from Shirakawa stands by the pond.

- Area: nagoya
- Type: sightseeing
- Hours: 9:00-16:50, with entry and ticket sales until 16:30. Closed every Monday (when Monday is a public holiday or a substitute holiday, the closed day moves to the first following non-holiday) and 29 December to 1 January. Some animals go indoors from around 16:00 and can no longer be seen
- Last verified: 2026-08-14

## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date)

| Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Rental ¥300 (for ages 7 months to 3 years), from the Main Gate information desk, Kamiike Gate and North Garden Gate information desk. Lending runs 9:00-16:00 and strollers must be back by 16:50. Twin strollers exist in limited numbers and can be reserved by phone | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/01_annai/01_03service/01_03-01.html) |
| Nursing space | Yes (12) | Twelve places are listed. Hot water at the Main Gate information desk (which also has an adult bed shared with first aid) and at Cafe North Garden. Baby beds, a nursing sofa and a hand basin at the Asian Elephant Plaza rest area and the toilets beside the axis deer; baby beds and a nursing sofa at Tanuki-no-Sato rest area and Hoshigaoka Gate; baby beds with a bench at the North Garden Gate information desk, the Children's Zoo petting area, the World Medaka Museum and Plant Hall 1F. Check the official service map for exact positions | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/01_annai/01_03service/01_03-01.html) |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Nursing rooms with a baby bed can also be used for nappy changes, and toilets around the park have baby beds and changing platforms — though some of the older toilets do not. Nappies are sold at Zoobo Gate, Zoasis West (vending machine), Zoobo no Mori, Shop North Garden and inside the tower ticket gate | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/01_annai/01_03service/01_03-01.html) |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Mostly open grounds — the botanical garden displays plants on the natural terrain — with a number of indoor buildings on the way: the Zoogeum indoor viewing area, the Nature Animal House (nocturnal animals on 1F, reptiles and amphibians on 2F), the Bird Hall, the Small Birds and Squirrels Forest, the World Medaka Museum and the greenhouse | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/04_zoo/feature/index.html) |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Family restroom | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Elevator | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| English support | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet |  |  |  |