No Panda! We knew that before our visit thankfully because we checked the website. So this review is not taking that into account.

For a Buddhist country that is supposed to love and respect animals Japan is not very good at Zoos. They are often run down, look like they have not been renovated since WWII and the enclosures can best be described as animal cruelty. Public zoos are often around ¥200-¥500 Kobe was ¥650 and you can tell the difference.

With that in mind we decided to visit when we had some spare time. It just so happened it was the hottest time of day so some of the animals were sleeping in the shade and a few like the tiger we didn’t see at all. Typical zoo stuff, to be expected. Yes every single enclosure was too small but that is also what you expect from a zoo especially a Japanese zoo. Some of the enclosures have really had thought put into them to mimic the natural habitat of the animal. The zoo keepers and vets were all very friendly and cared about the animals and took pride in their work.

The zoo is big but not too big and the enclosures can be viewed from different heights and angles. There is a zoological center where you can learn more and play a few games. Thankfully it wasn’t too busy when we went so we could go at our own pace and really enjoy ourselves.

There is also an amusement park there, we didn’t visit that area so I can’t comment on it.

We had some great experiences with the hippo and the sea lions. It was a lovely 3 or so hours well spent. If we are in Kobe again and have time we will definitely visit again, it really is one of the better zoos I have visited in Japan and your entrance fee is being used well.