New Year's events at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Spending New Year's the natural way
Note:
• Open from Thu, Jan 2 from the new year.
Events
Year-end/New Year Walkathon
Walk around to the most popular 10 animals of 2024, getting a sense of their charm while also learning about them.
• Period: Sat, Dec 21, 2024–Sun, Feb 24, 2025
• Location:
Walkathon sheet: Available at each gate, 9:00 am–3:00 pm
Gift reception: Main Gate information desk, North Park Gate, Kamiike Gate, and Sky Tower Gate until 4:30 pm
Note:
• Recieve popular animal stickers as a special present, Thu, Jan 2–Sun, Jan 5.
Greetings from Zoobo
Zoobo offers New Year's greetings and the chance to take a picture together!
• Dates and times:
From 10:30 am; Sat, Jan 4
From 10:30 am; Sun, Jan 5
(Held for 15 min. each session)
• Location: Outside the giraffe enclosure (canceled should rainy weather occur)
Photo spots
Photo stand-ins with the Chinese zodiac theme and cute illustrations let you take a commemorative New Year picture.
• Period: From Tue, Dec 17, 2024
• Location: North Park Gate and Kamiike Gate plazas
Trying Your Luck with Japanese Omikuji Fortunes amusement park event
Shake a big box and pull out a fortune for gifts!
• Date and time: From 1:00 pm (tickets available from 12:00 pm); Thu, Jan 2, 2025
• Location: Event area outside the teacups ride in the amuseument park
Notes:
• Available for the first 50 people.
• Canceled should rainy weather occur.
Other events
2025 Chinese zodiac snake quiz details (Japanese)
Wind a lottery drum for prizes—everyone wins!
Amusement park lottery details (Japanese)
Get a sticker wishing you luck on passing tests if you ride the Golden Koala Boat during the event period!
Higashiyama Boat House New Year's event details (Japanese)
Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
- A "forest where you can meet the animals of the world" surrounded by nature in the middle of a city
There are tons of popular animals at this zoo! From tiny medaka fish to huge elephants, it is home to the largest number of animals in Japan. Come and see the wide variety of animals.
There are many facilities, including the gorilla and chimpanzee house—home to famously handsome gorilla Shabani—the Asian elephant house, and the koala house. Here, you can not only watch the animals, but also learn about their ecologies and habitats through educational displays, so you can learn while having fun.
Including the greenhouse and the natural woods on the hillsides, the botanical garden is home to around 7,000 species of plants. The cherry blossom pathway has around 1,000 cherry trees of about 100 different species, which all bloom in the spring. In the fall, around 500 trees—mainly surrounding the back pond and Japanese-style garden—burst into color and become one of the city's best fall foliage spots. Besides that, there is a camellia garden, rose garden, field of flowers, and more landscapes that can be enjoyed in different seasons.
Details
| Schedule | Sat, Dec 21, 2024–Sun, Jan 5, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Regular Holiday | • Mon (the following weekday should Mon coincide with a national holiday) • Dec 29–Jan 1 (year-end/New Year holiday) |
| Time | 9:00 am–4:50 pm (admission until 4:30 pm) |
| Venue | Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens |
| Cost | Requires a fee |
| Price Details | • Adults: JPY 500 • Junior high school ages and younger: Free of charge |
| Contact | Higashiyama Multipurpose Park |
| TEL | +81-52-782-2111 |
| FAX | +81-52-782-2140 |
| Home Page | https://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/# |
| Access | • Main Gate: 3-min. walk from Exit 3 of Higashiyama Koen Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line. • Hoshigaoka Gate/Botanical gardens: 15-min. walk from the Mitsukoshi Department Store connection of Higashigaoka Stationo n the Higashiyama Subway Line. |
