First thing first, Expansive Zoo. Closing time is 5pm. Needs 2 hours here. So if you cannot reach by 2pm latest (not 3pm, but 2pm), Do not come here! You will feel scammed! Although the zoo's closing time is 5pm, 90% of the animals "go back to their rooms" at 4pm. So from 4pm onwards, you only see visitors rushing from exhibit to exhibit but not seeing anything, except empty cages. Many disappointed faces after 4pm with whispers of "scam, con, bluff people.." floating around. No giraffes, no wolves. See pics.

Secondly, the place is a bit dilapidated and messy. Not your usual Japan standard of cleanliness (except the new penguin and sea lion enclosure). See pics.

Thirdly, for all the kawai-ness of Japan, most of the animals are all kept in cold, iron cages instead of enclosures that are built to resemble their natural habitat. Got a bit of rude shock when walking past the cages of the different families of monkeys. The cages look like solitary jail cells. The flamigoes are kept in "netting-cages". The red pandas are kept in poorly designed and maintained environment. See pics.

Lastly the place closes at 5pm and the reptile house which is right beside the exit is already close at 4.45pm. Instead of letting visitors visit the reptiles before leaving the place, it's closed. So we saw visitors run back in to visit other animals that they missed earlier (only to realise the animals are all in their rooms already).

All in all, it is a cheap zoo to go. But it is a waste of time if you arrive any later than 2pm.

You can give it a miss if you are pressed for time or you have been to better ones like the Singapore Zoo.