Itozu no Mori Park
A zoo laid out by habitat, with a 13-meter aviary you walk into.
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Itozu no Mori Park
SaveA zoo laid out by habitat, with a 13-meter aviary you walk into.
At the petting zoo you can ride a horse and feed the goats and the elephants.
MoreWhat kind of place
Itozu no Mori Park is a city zoo in Kitakyushu, built around habitats rather than species groups. The African savanna has lions, Masai giraffes, and meerkats; the forest floor has Amur tigers and Sri Lankan elephants.
You view the treetop section from an observation deck as high as the fourth floor of a building.
The walk-in bird cage is 13 meters (43 feet) high and covers 704 square meters (about 7,600 square feet), with some 50 birds of about 10 species inside.
In the Madagascar area the barrier between people and animals is kept low, so you can get close to ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs.
The Children's Hall goes back to before World War II, when it held the newest amusement machines of the day and took its name from a public contest; today it is the entrance for groups.
Sources and evidence (29)
- There are three baby rooms: on the second floor of the management center, at the petting zoo rest area (Furemaru), and at the forest information office by the south gate.source
- Each baby room has a nursing space, a diaper-changing bed for babies and toddlers, hot water, a sink, and air conditioning.source
- Child-size toilets are in two places: the petting zoo rest area (Furemaru) and the forest information office by the south gate.source
- A first-aid room on the first floor of the management center handles minor injuries and gives you somewhere to rest if someone feels unwell.source
- No doctor or nurse is stationed in the first-aid room, and it does not hand out medicine.source
- Lost and found items are registered at the first floor of the management center and at the north and south gates, and the park calls the contact number you leave if your item turns up.source
- An AED, the device used to restart a heart, is kept at the management center by the south gate.source
- Admission can be paid in cash or with PayPay, au Pay, or Rakuten Pay, and payment is taken only up to one hour before closing.source
- Parking Lot 1, beside the north gate, holds 80 cars, and Parking Lot 2, the multi-story garage at the north gate, holds 520.source
- The mini monorail, merry-go-round, children's train, cycle monorail, Fire Fighter, and Balloon Elephant are 250 yen each.source
- Sky Flyer costs 500 yen and is for riders weighing 20 to 80 kg, about 44 to 176 pounds.source
- You can feed the goats and the elephants, at 100 to 200 yen for the food.source
- A play ticket book costs 1,000 yen and holds 1,250 yen worth of ride tickets, sold at the machines near the Ferris wheel, the children's train, and the mini monorail.source
- You can re-enter on the same day by asking for a re-entry ticket at the gate.source
- If you take your car out of the lot, you pay the parking fee again when you come back.source
- The Grassland World recreates an African savanna where predators and grazing animals live, and the panorama changes depending on where you stand.source
- The Grassland World has Chapman's zebras, gray crowned cranes, Masai giraffes, meerkats, and lions.source
- The Forest Floor World recreates the ponds, streams, and thick woods where animals and birds live.source
- The Forest Floor World has Amur tigers, Sri Lankan elephants, chimpanzees, mandrills, Geoffroy's spider monkeys, Victoria crowned pigeons, and laughing kookaburras.source
- The Treetop World is a cage 6 meters (20 feet) high, and you view it from an observation deck built as high as the fourth floor of a building.source
- The Madagascar World keeps the barrier between people and animals low, so visitors can get close to ruffed lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs.source
- The petting zoo has rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, donkeys, red pandas, prairie dogs, and Japanese macaques, among others.source
- The walk-in bird cage is 13 meters (43 feet) high and covers 704 square meters, about 7,600 square feet, and inside it you can watch some 50 birds of about 10 species.source
- The Local Forest has raccoon dogs, Japanese giant flying squirrels, and Kyushu hares, and the tree shade makes it a good place for a walk.source
- A fast-food restaurant called Forest sits in the play zone, serving light meals and drinks such as curry rice, udon with fried fish cake, and corn dogs.source
- The shop carries about 1,700 items, from sweets and other souvenirs to T-shirts, stationery, and stuffed animals.source
- The Children's Hall goes back to before World War II, when it held the newest amusement machines of the day; its name came from a public contest, and the building is now the entrance for groups.source
- The park is at 4-1-8 Kamiitozu, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and the phone number is 093-651-1895.source
- The official website switches between Japanese, English, simplified Chinese, and Korean, and the park map PDF also comes in English, Chinese, and Korean.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The animals here are grouped by habitat, from savanna to treetops. The bird cage is one you walk into: 13 meters (43 feet) high, with the birds up above you.
At the petting zoo, kids can ride a horse and feed the goats, and you can feed the elephants too.
Three baby rooms are set around the park, each with a nursing space, a diaper-changing bed, hot water, and air conditioning.
When it is time to eat, head for the lawn area: benches and tables are set out all around it, and the park calls it the best place to spread out a packed lunch.
Sources and evidence (7)
- Some rides are free for children 3 and under when a paying adult rides along; the park's own ride list marks those rides with a star.source
- The play zone has family rides and equipment, including climbing structures and a merry-go-round.source
- Elephant feed: 2x daily, 160 portions, first come. Donkey rides: 4x a day, 12 riders, max 30kg. Guinea pigs: book ahead.source
- A small fairground behind the zoo, with a merry-go-round and climbing structures; under-threes ride free. Two visits.source
- Packed lunches are fine, but there are no bins. Families stay two to five hours. Parking ¥600 a day, strollers ¥100.source
- 5C at dawn on 4 February, 9C by 10:00 on arrival. Quiet on a weekday. Most bird enclosures were shut for avian flu.source
- Open to 21:00 (entry to 20:00) on summer weekends to 31 August; free for high-schoolers and under. Pond and wheel lit.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The 13-meter-high, 704-square-meter aviary is one you walk right into, so a baby in your arms can look up at some 50 birds of about 10 species. The Hometown Forest area is shaded by trees, so you can push the stroller through it even on a hot day.There are three baby rooms — the second floor of the Management Center, the petting zoo (Furemaru) rest house, and the Forest Information Center at the South Gate — each with a nursing room, a diaper changing bed for infants, hot water, a sink and air conditioning. The strollers for rent are all B-type; there is no A-type for newborns, so bring your own if your baby still needs one (rental is 100 yen a day at the North and South Gates, plus a 400-yen deposit refunded on return, and no reservations are taken). Children 3 and under enter free.
- Ages 2-3At the petting zoo you can touch rabbits, guinea pigs and goats, and feeding is offered for the goats and the elephants (100-200 yen). Rides marked with a star are free for children 3 and under, who ride along with a paying adult.Kids' toilets are at two places — the petting zoo (Furemaru) rest house and the Forest Information Center at the South Gate — and seven restrooms have a baby keeper seat (at Shibafu Hiroba and on the second floor of the Management Center it is in the women's restroom only). If you want to go back to the car for a nap, ask at the gate for a re-entry ticket and you can come and go that day, but taking the car out of the lot means paying the parking fee again (600 yen a day for a regular car). Children 3 and under enter free; from age 4 it is 100 yen.
- Ages 4-6From age 4 a child can ride the Happy Kangaroo (100 cm and taller). The donkey ride is 200 yen for one lap for riders up to 30 kg, and the petting zoo also offers horse riding. The World of Madagascar lowers the wall between people and animals, so you can meet ruffed lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs up close.Rides are 250 yen each, and if you plan on several there is a play ticket book: 1,000 yen buys 1,250 yen worth, from the machines near the Ferris wheel, the children's train and the mini monorail. On the cycle monorail a child under 110 cm cannot ride alone, so an adult rides along. The Sky Flyer (500 yen) is for riders of 20 kg and up. Admission is 100 yen from age 4, and for a packed lunch the park sets out many benches and tables around Shibafu Hiroba.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe draw is a set of outdoor exhibits that recreate each animal's habitat. You walk right into the bird cage — 13 meters high, 704 square meters — to see about 10 species and 50 birds, and Canopy World is viewed from a deck at the height of a fourth floor. The park also suggests a stroll through the shaded Hometown Forest and lunch at the benches and tables around the lawn.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed3 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：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Kids' toiletKids' toilet seat & step stool：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
* Other not checked (1)
Diaper disposal bin
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
Elephant feed: 2x daily, 160 portions, first come. Donkey rides: 4x a day, 12 riders, max 30kg. Guinea pigs: book ahead.
Five things to know before your first visit to Itozu no Mori Park with children
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A small fairground behind the zoo, with a merry-go-round and climbing structures; under-threes ride free. Two visits.
Itozu no Mori Park: a zoo with a small fairground, worth going back to with children
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Packed lunches are fine, but there are no bins. Families stay two to five hours. Parking ¥600 a day, strollers ¥100.
Itozu no Mori Park: can you bring food, how long do people stay, is parking free, what about rain?
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
5C at dawn on 4 February, 9C by 10:00 on arrival. Quiet on a weekday. Most bird enclosures were shut for avian flu.
The day I went back to Itozu no Mori Park after six years
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Open to 21:00 (entry to 20:00) on summer weekends to 31 August; free for high-schoolers and under. Pond and wheel lit.
Itozu no Mori Park lit up: the Night Zoo, with food trucks【Kitakyushu, Kokurakita】
Itozu no Mori Park · Links & reads ▾
Where it is
4-1-8 Kamiitozu, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka 803-0845source
Before you go
- The number of strollers is limited, and they cannot be reserved.source
- Parking is 600 yen a day for a regular car and 1,000 yen a day for a larger vehicle, and the seven large-vehicle spaces at the south gate lot must be reserved.source
- Anyone under 110 cm, about 3 feet 7 inches, cannot ride the cycle monorail alone.source
Basics
- Fee：Adults ¥800, junior-high and high school students ¥400, ages 4 to elementary school ¥100. Children aged 3 and under are free. Age 65 and over ¥400 with proof of date of birth. With a disability certificate: ¥400 / ¥200 / ¥50, and one carer at half the standard rate. A three-month adult pass is ¥1,500. Parking is ¥600 a day for a car. Rides are charged separately — the Ferris wheel ¥400, most others ¥250; a ¥1,000 book of ride tickets is worth ¥1,250source
- Hours：9:00-17:00, closed Tuesdays. Hours differ during the summer holidays, long weekends and the new year, and both hours and closing days change with the season — check the official calendar. You can go back in on the same day: ask at the gate for a re-entry ticket (taking the car out means paying to park again)source
- Time to allow：3 h
- Booking：Admission is paid at the gate — cash, PayPay, au PAY and Rakuten Pay, though the cashless options stop one hour before closingsourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (10)
- Admission is 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for junior high and high school students, and 100 yen for ages 4 through elementary school.source
- Children 3 and under get in free.source
- Seniors 65 and over pay 400 yen and need something showing their date of birth.source
- With a disability certificate, admission is 400 yen for adults, 200 yen for junior high and high school students, and 50 yen for ages 4 through elementary school, and anyone who needs a helper along gets half the regular price for one companion.source
- The group rate applies from 25 paying visitors up, at 600 yen for adults, 300 yen for junior high and high school students, and 50 yen for ages 4 through elementary school.source
- A three-month pass sells for 1,500 yen.source
- The park is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with different hours during Japan's summer school vacation, long holiday runs such as Golden Week in late April and early May, and the New Year days.source
- The park is closed every Tuesday.source
- Hours and closed days change with the season, so the park asks you to check its calendar for the day you plan to visit.source
- By car, leave the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway at the Yamaji ramp toward Tobata, then turn right at the Shichijobashi intersection onto Prefectural Route 296 toward Kokura and continue about 3 km, roughly 2 miles.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (8)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- Official: Outside food allowed, Indoor / outdoor, English support
- Official: main site
The zoo is built around habitats: an African savanna, a wooded forest floor with ponds and streams, and a canopy world. Amur tigers, Sri Lankan elephants, Masai giraffes and lions live here. The canopy cage stands six meters tall and is seen from a deck four stories up. A 13-meter aviary of 704 square meters lets you walk inside among about 50 birds. The play zone adds a merry-go-round and climbing structures. Benches and tables ring the lawn area.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers are lent at the north and south gates for ¥100 a day plus a ¥400 deposit that is refunded. They are type B only — none for newborns — and cannot be reserved | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three baby rooms — 2nd floor of the management center, the petting-zoo rest house, and the Forest Information Center at the south gate. Each has a nursing room, a changing bed, hot water, a sink and air conditioning | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes (6) | Six toilets have a changing bed — 2nd floor of the management center, the petting-zoo rest house, the Forest Information Center (south gate), Forest Floor World, the lawn area and the 1st floor of the Children's Hall. They take both babies and adults. The three baby rooms also have a changing bed | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes (6) | Six multi-purpose toilets with a changing bed. Baby keepers (seats to strap a child into) are in the petting-zoo rest house, the Forest Information Center, Forest Floor World, by the Ferris wheel, the 1st floor of the Children's Hall, and in the women's toilets at the lawn area and the management center | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Yes | Child-sized toilets in the petting-zoo rest house and the Forest Information Center at the south gate | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | Benches and tables are set out around the lawn area, which the park describes as the best place to spread out a packed lunch. There is also a fast-food restaurant, Forest, in the play zone | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | An outdoor zoo and park. The forest zone gives shade, and there are rest houses and information centers to duck into | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| English support | English menu & signs | The park map is published as a PDF in English, Chinese and Korean, and the site has English, Chinese and Korean versions | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | itozu-zoo.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet |