Yagiyama Zoological Park
A city zoo with polar bears and African elephants, right outside a subway exit.
piggybackjapan.com
Yagiyama Zoological Park
SaveA city zoo with polar bears and African elephants, right outside a subway exit.
A hands-on animal session runs every day, and the shop on Monkey Hill sells monkey feed.
MoreWhat kind of place
Yagiyama Zoological Park is Sendai's city zoo, in the Yagiyama Honcho neighborhood of Taihaku Ward. It is home to mammals, birds and reptiles, including polar bears and African elephants.
The grounds are split into three areas running from the West Gate across to the East Gate, and the Elephant and Giraffe lots hold 370 cars between them.
Redevelopment work is under way, so one of the walking routes has changed, and notices from August 2026 list the lions and the Humboldt penguins as off display.
Sources and evidence (31)
- There are two nursing rooms: one in the visitor center and one in Fureai-kan, the hands-on animal building.source
- Each nursing room has hot water for formula and a diaper changing table, plus a separate feeding area that only women may enter.source
- Diaper changing tables are installed in seven restrooms around the park.source
- Diapers are sold at the Zebra Shop and at the East Gate shop.source
- A restroom map of the park is published as a PDF (235 KB).source
- There is a first aid room and an AED on site; speak to a nearby staff member to use them.source
- You may bring your own food and drinks in, and eat at the rest areas or the open spaces.source
- Places to eat a packed lunch include the West Gate courtyard, Fureai Hill, the area by the Oyama shop, the East Gate plaza, the covered penguin rest area, and the lawn.source
- To eat on the lawn you need to bring a picnic mat or something else to sit on.source
- The park is non-smoking, and the smoking area is outside the West Gate in the Elephant parking lot.source
- Coin lockers are near the West Gate and East Gate entrances.source
- Parking is at the Elephant and Giraffe lots, with room for 370 cars.source
- The parking lots are open from 8:00 to 17:00, and until 21:00 during night opening periods.source
- Parking can only be paid for in cash.source
- Getting into the parking lot can take over an hour during Golden Week (the holiday stretch from late April into early May), on night openings, and on weekends and holidays in the busy travel seasons.source
- Motorcycles and bicycles cannot use the Elephant and Giraffe lots; there is a free, uncovered two-wheeler lot in front of the East Gate.source
- Fureai Hill has a restaurant called Goo Goo Terrace.source
- Mori no Shokudo, near the ape house, serves udon and soba noodles and has a kids' menu.source
- The Oyama shop near the central plaza is known for its crepes, and runs a prize drawing on weekends and holidays.source
- The shop at the monkey enclosure sells monkey feed for 100 yen.source
- The Zebra Shop, in the visitor center at the West Gate entrance, sells stuffed animals, original souvenirs, and diapers.source
- A hands-on animal session is held every day on Fureai Hill.source
- The park map is published as a digital map and as a leaflet PDF (5,052 KB).source
- The park is divided into three areas: the West Gate side, the area around Fureai-kan, and the East Gate side.source
- The zoo lists its animals in three groups: mammals, birds, and reptiles.source
- A notice dated August 5, 2026 says the lion display is suspended.source
- A notice dated August 7, 2026 says the Humboldt penguin display has been stopped.source
- A notice dated August 3, 2026 explains which animals are on display during the redevelopment work.source
- A notice from April 2025 announces a change to the walking route through the park.source
- The night opening event, Night Zoogiam 2026, runs from August 20 to August 22, 2026.source
- A notice dated June 20, 2026 explains how the red pandas are shown in summer.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The subway from Sendai Station takes 12 minutes, and the elevator at the station exit opens right in front of the zoo gate.
A hands-on animal session runs every day, and the shop by the monkey enclosure sells monkey feed for 100 yen, so your kids get to touch and feed animals rather than only look at them.
Two nursing rooms, one in the visitor center and one in Fureai-kan, have hot water for formula, so you can make up a bottle without carrying hot water in.
You can also bring your own food and eat it at the rest areas, so lunch can happen wherever you are when they get hungry.
Once you leave the park you cannot come back in, so cover all three areas in one loop: the West Gate side, then Fureai-kan in the middle, then the East Gate.
Sources and evidence (5)
- A weekday round in 2-3 hours: camels and the polar bears Polaris and Kai first, and goat petting needs a timed pass.source
- With a 3- and 1-year-old: everything inside is cash only, the park is full of slopes, and petting runs on tickets.source
- A rainy day with a 1- and 3-year-old: light rain is fine, heavy rain is hard. Elephant food is ¥100 a set, cash only.source
- Central exit 1 of the subway station has an elevator and links almost straight to the west gate; parking caps at ¥500.source
- The director says he has never once seen a kinkajou by day; at the night opening they and the flying squirrels come out.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Polar bears and African elephants live here, and the whole visit can be done from the stroller — you may bring your own, and paid rentals are available. The entrance is right at the top of the elevator from Exit Chuo 1 of Yagiyama Zoological Park station on the subway Tozai Line, so a sleeping baby goes from train to zoo without being woken.The two nursing rooms, in the visitor centre and in the Fureai-kan, each have a women-only nursing space, hot water for formula and a diaper changing table. Changing tables (baby seats) are in seven more toilets around the park, and a toilet map is published as a PDF. Diapers are sold at the Zebra Shop inside the West Gate visitor centre and at the East Gate shop, which are also the two places that rent strollers for a fee. Preschoolers enter free. The zoo is closed every Wednesday, or the following Thursday when that Wednesday is a public holiday.
- Ages 2-3The hands-on animal session at Fureai Hill runs every day. At the Monkey Hill shop, monkey feed is 100 yen. Mori no Shokudo, near the ape house, serves udon and soba and has a kids' menu.Tricycles, bicycles, kick scooters, balls, other play or sports equipment and camping gear such as tents may not be brought in. A push-handle tricycle is the one exception, though the zoo asks that the child not pedal it themselves. Food and drink may be brought in; the rest spots are the West Gate courtyard, Fureai Hill, near the Oyama shop, the East Gate plaza, the roofed penguin rest area and the lawn — for the lawn you need a picnic sheet. Once you leave the park you cannot re-enter.
- Ages 4-6The park splits into three areas — the West Gate side, around the Fureai-kan, and the East Gate side — and the map is published both as a digital map and as a leaflet PDF. With the map in hand, a child this age decides which animal to go and see next. The Oyama shop near the central plaza is known for its crepes, and on weekends and holidays it runs a lucky draw.Preschoolers enter free, elementary and junior high school students are 120 yen, adults 480 yen. Notices dated August 5, 2026 (lion display suspended), August 7 (Humboldt penguin display cancelled) and August 3 (animal displays during redevelopment work) are posted — at an age when a child arrives with one animal in mind, check the official notices before you set out. The night opening, Night Zoogeum 2026, runs August 20 to 22, 2026. If you drive, the car park can take over an hour to get into on peak-season weekends and holidays.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayOf the six rest spots where you can eat a packed lunch, only the penguin rest area is listed as having a roof, and eating on the lawn plaza calls for a picnic sheet.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed3 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (3)
Indoor / outdoor, 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 translatedGuide
A weekday round in 2-3 hours: camels and the polar bears Polaris and Kai first, and goat petting needs a timed pass.
Yagiyama Zoo highlights and how long you need: a full guide for families and couples
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
With a 3- and 1-year-old: everything inside is cash only, the park is full of slopes, and petting runs on tickets.
[Sendai with kids] Yagiyama Zoo, where you can touch the animals
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A rainy day with a 1- and 3-year-old: light rain is fine, heavy rain is hard. Elephant food is ¥100 a set, cash only.
[Summer holiday with kids] We went to Yagiyama Zoo and got to touch a lot of animals
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Central exit 1 of the subway station has an elevator and links almost straight to the west gate; parking caps at ¥500.
Yagiyama Zoo Fujisaki-no-Mori: access, fees and a model route, in full
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
The director says he has never once seen a kinkajou by day; at the night opening they and the flying squirrels come out.
Director's blog: the animals you can (almost) only see at the night opening (18 Aug 2025)
Yagiyama Zoological Park · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
1-43 Yagiyamahoncho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 982-0801source
Before you go
- You cannot bring alcohol into the park. Goo Goo Terrace is the only place that serves it, and the only place you can drink it.source
- Bicycles, kick scooters, balls and other play or sports gear, and camping equipment such as tents cannot be brought in, and neither can tricycles unless they have a parent push handle.source
- Tricycles with a parent push handle are allowed in, but the zoo asks that an adult push them rather than let the child pedal.source
- Pets cannot come in, apart from assistance dogs.source
- If the park gets crowded, the zoo may stop letting people in earlier than the usual cut-off, or pause entry for about 15 minutes at a time.source
Basics
- Fee：¥480 for general admission, ¥120 for elementary and junior-high students, free for pre-school children. An annual pass is ¥1,200, the same price for adults and school children, valid one year from purchase. Cash, credit cards, e-money and QR payments are accepted. Once you leave the park you cannot re-entersource
- Hours：Closed every Wednesday — if that Wednesday is a public holiday, the Thursday after is closed instead. Opening and closing times are on the official page (check before you go). When it is busy, last admission can be brought forward and entry can be held for about 15 minutessource
- Time to allow：3 h
- Booking：Groups of 30 or more must apply in advancesourceOfficial booking site ↗
- Note (Aug 2026): lion viewing is suspended, Humboldt penguin viewing is canceled, and redevelopment work is changing which animals are on show. Check the official top page before you gosource
Basics in detail (9)
- Coin lockers cost 100 yen per use for a small one and 300 yen for a large one.source
- Admission is 480 yen for adults and 120 yen for elementary and junior high school students, and preschool children get in free.source
- An annual pass costs 1,200 yen, the same price for adults and for elementary and junior high school students, and is valid for one year from the day you buy it.source
- You can pay with cash, a credit card, electronic money, or a QR code payment app.source
- The entrance is right in front of you as you step off the elevator at Central Exit 1 of Yagiyama Zoological Park Station on the Sendai subway Tozai Line.source
- The subway ride on the Tozai Line from Sendai Station to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station takes 12 minutes.source
- The address is 1-43 Yagiyama Honcho, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, and the general information line is 022-229-0631.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- Official: Elevator
- Official: main site
Twelve minutes by subway from Sendai Station, the elevator at Yagiyama Zoological Park Station brings you out at the gate. The park runs in three areas, around the west gate, the Fureai-kan and the east gate. Polar bears, African elephants, Sumatran tigers and red pandas live here. A hands-on animal session is held daily on Fureai Hill, and the Monkey Hill shop sells feed. You may bring your own food and eat it on the lawn or at the roofed penguin rest area.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | You can bring your own stroller in. Paid rentals are at the Zebra Shop inside the Visitor Center (West Gate) and at the East Gate shop — ask the staff there. Push-handle tricycles may be brought in, but children should not ride them themselves | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | Two rooms — inside the Visitor Center and inside the Fureai-kan. Each has a women-only nursing area, hot water for formula, and a changing table | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes (7) | Changing tables in seven restrooms around the park, plus the two nursing rooms. Diapers are sold at the Zebra Shop and the East Gate shop. A restroom map is downloadable as a PDF | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | 'Hirobiro toilets' (wheelchair-accessible) are marked on the park restroom map. The Visitor Center and the Fureai-kan also have a care bed for changing an older child or adult | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | You may bring food and drink in and eat it at the rest areas: the West Gate courtyard, Fureai Hill, near the Oyama shop, the East Gate plaza, the roofed Penguin rest area, and the lawn (bring a picnic mat). Take your trash home. No alcohol may be brought in — drinking is only at Guh-Guh Terrace | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | The subway station exit (Yagiyama Zoological Park Station, Central Exit 1) has an elevator, and the park entrance is right after you come down from it | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.sendai.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet |