Tennoji Zoo

Known as Tennoji Dobutsuen in Japanese, Tennoji Zoo might not be up to international standards, but does house a variety of animals from lions and red pandas to penguins and rhinos. If you’re traveling with children, it might be worth a visit; but those concerned about animal welfare may want to give this a miss.

[Tennoji Zoo - image © Florentyna Leow]

Tennoji Zoo is located in Tennoji-koen Park, and attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually. It’s one of the oldest zoos in Japan, and is home to over 1000 animals across 230 types.

The effort they’ve put into creating the different spaces here is quite impressive. There’s an “African savannah” which has carnivores and herbivores roaming in what looks like the same space; an underwater viewing pool where you can watch hippos swimming with fish; a tropical jungle zone with dozens of different kinds of birds and, of course, chimpanzees and orangutans.

[Tennoji Zoo - image © Florentyna Leow]

On the one hand, looking at the variety of animals might be a nice learning experience for children. On the other hand, they’re crammed into just 10 hectares of land, with the enclosures clearly being too cramped for the larger animals like polar bears and lions. It’s not exactly the best zoo in the world, and if you’re at all concerned about animal welfare, you may want to skip a visit to Tennoji Zoo.

English name:
Tennoji Zoo

Japanese name:
天王寺動物園

English address:
1-108 Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, 543-0063

Japanese address:
〒543-0063 大阪市天王寺区茶臼山町1-108

Opening hours:
9:30am-5pm (last entry 4pm)
(Saturday, Sunday and national holidays in May and September: 9:30am-6pm, last entry 5pm)
Closed Monday or the following Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday

Admission:
Adults: 500
Junior high and elementary school students: 200

Nearest Transport:
Subway: 5-minute walk from exit 1 of Dobutsuen-mae Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji and Sakaisuji Lines.
Train and Subway: 7-minute walk from Tennoji Station.

Nearest Hotels:
Check availability and pricing for hotels near Tennoji Zoo on Booking.com or Agoda.com.

Telephone:
+81-6-6771-8401

Website:Official Website (English)

Near To Here:
Tennoji Zoo is located in Osaka’s Tennoji and Abeno area. See our complete list of things to do in the Osaka’s Tennoji and Abeno area, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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