Tokyo · Ueno and Yanaka
Ueno Zoo
Ueno Zoo opened in 1882 and is the oldest in Japan, on 14 hectares. It is divided into an East Garden and a West Garden, and between 1957 and 2019 the first monorail in Japan connected them. It was officially discontinued in 2023, and today you move between the two parts on foot, a few minutes, or on a free electric bus that gives priority to people who have difficulty walking.
Since 27 January 2026 there are no pandas at Ueno Zoo. The twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, who were born at the zoo in 2021, were returned to China on that date under the agreement with China, and this is the first time in about 54 years that there is no panda at all in Japan. There is still no announcement of new pandas arriving. In their place, the main attractions are western lowland gorillas, Sumatran tigers, polar bears and Asian elephants.
Inside the zoo grounds, between the enclosures, stands a five-story pagoda from the 17th century, which was originally part of the neighboring temple complex. You can see it for free from outside, over the fence of Toshogu Shrine, or up close with a zoo ticket.
Good to know
- There have been no pandas at the zoo since 27 January 2026. If you come especially for them you will be disappointed, and there is no announcement of when new pandas will be brought to Japan.
- The historic monorail has not run since 2019. Between the East Garden and the West Garden there is a free electric bus, with priority for people who have difficulty walking.
- Closed on Mondays. When Monday is a holiday, the zoo is open and closes on the following day.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Ueno Zoo.
- HereUeno Zoo
- ~2 min
Ueno Toshogu Shrine More to see
A Shinto shrine from 1651 right next to the zoo gate. ¥700 for the inner courtyard, and from there you see the zoo's pagoda over the fence.
- ~4 min
Shinobazu Pond Bentendo More to see
A prayer hall on an island in the middle of the pond, free. Lotuses bloom from mid-July to August.
- ~5 min
Ueno Seiyoken Landaulet Food
A French and Western restaurant from 1876 on the edge of Shinobazu Pond. Lunch menu from ¥3,000.
- ~6 min
Starbucks Coffee Ueno Onshi Koen Cafe
A branch in a low wooden building inside the park, between the museums. A place to sit on a rainy day without leaving the park.
- ~10 min
Anmitsu Mihashi Ueno Honten Cafe
A long-established Japanese sweets shop near Ameyoko. Cream anmitsu, ¥840.
- ~12 min
Ameyoko Shopping Street Street
A market that rose after the war under the railway tracks in Ueno: street snacks, dried seafood and cheap clothes.