Kobe Oji Zoo 🇯🇵

Welcome to Kōbe Ōji Zoo, a municipal zoo situated inside Ōji Park in Kobe, Japan. If you are looking for a delightful day out surrounded by diverse wildlife and historic charm, this zoo offers an engaging experience for visitors of all ages. You will find an impressive array of animal habitats to explore during your walk. Head over to the Panda House to see giant pandas, or visit the Big Cats Circle to observe majestic tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, and jaguars.

At the Polar Bear House, you can enjoy both aboveground and underwater viewing areas. Kids and families will love Animals' Land & Children's Zoo, which features farm animals, small domestic creatures, red pandas, otters, and koalas. Additional animals across the grounds include giraffes, elephants, hippos, flamingos, sea lions, and apes. Beyond the animal exhibits, you can step into the Zoological Science Center to view skeletal specimens and relax in the reading room, or enjoy the small amusement park's rides, including a Ferris wheel and chair swing ride.

Don't miss the northeast corner to view the E.H. Hunter House, an elaborate 19th-century foreign home designated as an Important Cultural Property.

What to see at Kobe Oji Zoo

• Panda House featuring giant pandas
• Polar Bear House with aboveground and underwater viewing areas
• Big Cats Circle housing tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, and jaguars
• Animals' Land & Children's Zoo with red pandas, otters, and koalas
• Historic E.H. Hunter House, a designated Important Cultural Property

Visiting tips

Check out the historic E.H. Hunter House in the zoo's northeast corner, but note that its interior with roped-off period furniture is only open a few months each year.

How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: During open hours

How to get there & what’s nearby

Kobe Oji Zoo is easy to reach on Kobe’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Kobe Mosque and Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Kobe travel guide.