The zoo was big and spacious and the ticket was very cheap. (600 yen - adult)
However, half of the enclosures were empty or inaccessible. (Koalas, Big & Red Pandas, Gorillas, Big cats).
The enclosures were in general rather sad and small. And most of them didnt contain anything besides a food station. Some animals were also kept alone and many were walking in circles or showed an uncommon/nervous behaviour. Like a smaller monkey was kept alone in a 1m square cage.
I'd rather spend more money on the ticket and see the animals in more animal-friendly enclosures than support the current state of the zoo.
Sadly this seems to be common for zoos in Japan.
A zoo with a lot of animals. Fun to visit! Here you wil sense the nature right in center of a urban area of Kobe. It is sad that we can't see any panda here anymore. But they have a cute little museum of pandas. Low key recommended!
We visited Oji Zoo (Kobe Oji Zoo) as a family, and overall it was a decent experience. The zoo has a nice variety of animals and is great for kids, but it gets very crowded, especially on weekends.
Parking was quite difficult — the parking lot gets full quickly, and finding a spot can take a while. If you’re planning to visit by car, it’s best to go early in the morning or consider using public transportation.
The atmosphere itself is pleasant, but the large number of visitors made it a bit tiring at times. For a more relaxed experience, I’d recommend visiting on a weekday if possible.
A good family spot, but timing is everything!
I had a really enjoyable visit to Kobe Ōji Zoo. There was plenty to do during the day, and I liked that there were affordable food options along with spots to sit and relax. The picnic space made it feel easy to spend time there, and the cherry blossom light-up at night was especially memorable.
Enclosures are very small but other than that the zoo is very well maintained. We had a really lovely time at the end of the day. The view from the Ferris wheel is marvelous!
