Izu Shaboten Zoo – A Small paradise

Travel

One of the must-visit places for animal lovers when travelling to Izu. In this post I cover what you can expect from this place based off my real experience as a Japanese local visitor in Izu.

All about Izu Shaboten Zoo

Izu Shaboten Zoo is a rather small scale zoo located in Izu, a famous tourist destination in Japan. Opened and running from 1959, the Zoo is one of the many venues operated by the Izu Shaboten Resort Group. The venue is fairly compact but filled with over 100 different kinds of animals to explore.

Growing up in Australia, I have seen my fair share of animals and have visited many wildlife zoos. I was still surprised to see the variety that were present and how open the venue is – to the point where many of the animals are practically free-roaming on site. Definitely recommend a visit for animal lovers who want to get up close and personal.

Entrace Conditions and Fees

Operating Hours:

March – October: 9:00 – 17:00

November – February: 9:00 – 16:00

Open most days including weekends and public holidays.

Entrance Fees:

Adult (13yo+): ¥2,600 yen

Children (4-13yo): ¥1,300 yen

Toddlers (Under 4yo): ¥700 yen

Parking Fee (if visiting by car):

¥500 yen

Conditions and Services:

  • You can bring your own pet with you as long as you have a leash. Due to the free-roaming nature of some parts of the venue, access to these areas will be prohibited with your pet.
  • Coin lockers are available on site. If you have over sized luggage that does not fit in the lockers, staff at the ticket counter can keep the luggage safe during your stay for a fee.
  • Baby carts are available for lease on site for a fee.
  • Pre-booking for large group visits are not necessary but recommended to allow for smooth entrace.

Location and Access

From JR Ito station, Izu Shaboten Zoo is 35 mins via the Local Tokai-route Bus, or 25 mins by Taxi.

Due to the lack of public trasport in the Izu area, I strongly suggest getting by via your own car. The venue hosts a large parking area so parking should not be much of an issue. Small Parking fee of ¥500 yen will apply.

For tips on how to get to the Izu area itself, see my seperate post below.

How long will I need to enjoy?

If you want to enjoy everything the zoo has to offer without rushing, it will take a good 4 to 5 hours including lunch break. If you are on the go it is also possible to rush through the venue in 1 to 2 hours (1 hour is really tough though) and still have a good time. Venue closes at 5pm (or 4pm depending on the month of visit) but there is still 30 min – 1 hour before things really close up so that may be something to have in mind if you are cramming your schedule.

The experience

The zoo is divided in to different sections with different kinds of animals in each zone.

Map of Izu Shaboten Zoo (Official)

Some areas like Bird paradise, Kangaroo Hill and Capybara plaza are a must-go as these areas are basically a mini safari – the animals are free-roaming within the area to the point where you can get inches close as these animals seem to be totally calm around us humans.

There is also a section dedicated to a bunch of Cactus and Stone models/carvings if you into these stuff.

Activities

There are several activities you can experience. One of them is a Boat Tour which takes you around the monkey area. This is the only place in Japan where you can physically interact with Lemurs (Madagascar anyone?) and have a chance to feed them while they cutely and harmlessly climb all over you. Admission fee for this boat course is ¥1,500 yen for Adults and ¥800 yen for Children.

There is an live animal show which takes place twice a day at 11:00 & 14:00. The main animals featured on the show are birds and monkeys. The content of the show changes frequently so be sure to check it out if you want to enjoy the full experience. If you are running on a schedule perhaps its worth spending more time elsewhere as the show can take up percious time.

Recommendations

Kangaroo Hill – Meet the TV star

Izu Shaboten Zoo has been featured many times on Japanese TV. One particular TV show “Zoo-1 Grandprix” awarded a Kangaroo called “Lime-kun” the best looking Kangaroo award. Guess what? You can meet Lime-kun right here at Kangaroo Hill. The Kangaroo Hill area is a free-roam area where there are no obstacles between you and the Kangaroos. Just like at any other zoo, most Kangaroos are sleeping or chilling during the day. Get right up close

Cabypara Rainbow Plaza & Cabypara Plaza

Right from when you enter the zoo, there is a giant Cabypara statue letting you know that Cabyparas are the star of this venue. Head to Cabypara Rainbow Plaza for your chance to get up close and personal with a bunch of these all too cute Cabyparas. Dont forget to also stop by the Cabypara Plaza (a little confusing I know) to check out Cabyparas enjoying a open aired bath. The bath turns in to a Hot spirng during Winter bringing in more Cabyparas for a wonderful sighting.

Chilling in the bath

Red Panda Heaven

There are 4 super cute Red Pandas you can visit at the Red Panda Building. There is really nothing else that needs to be said about this – a MUST visit when you visit the zoo!

Aww!

Well there you have it! Izu Shaboten Zoo was a pleasant surprise upon my visit and I enjoyed the venue very much during my stay at Izu.

Be sure to check out my Instagram below for some fantastic photos displaying the cutest animals at the zoo!

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