The zoo itself is in good condition and attractive overall. The selection of animals is excellent and the facilities are clean. However, many animals' enclosures are too small. There are glass cages which are maybe the size of four cars, and which house a single wolf or leopard. Those animals are either frantically running in circles (since wolves need to run through a large areal by nature) or sit still in visible resignation. Many animals looked desolate and desparate, likely because they did not have space to move around. The zoo itself has great potential but a lot of the enclosures are nothing short of animal cruelty. Also, just in case you didn't know, they have no elephant.

A nice way to spend a few hours. We came on a weekday afternoon and were immediately let in. Quite a few animal exhibits were closed before the official closing time (no idea why, but it seems fairly common judging by the reviews here), but we were informed beforehand, so we made a beeline for those first. As one of the oldest zoos in Japan, it does look and feel dated. Enclosures seem too small for the animals, and because of this I’m not sure how much care they have for them. It’s a pity because they have so many different types of animals. I just wish they were given bigger spaces to live in. There were some major renovations going on when I was there in Dec 2023, so hopefully they will be addressing this.

One of the attractions in Osaka. Within walking distance from Tsutentaku, loved by the locals students and travellers. The entrance fee is affordable but if you have the Osaka amazing pass, it will be worthwhile and you can skip the queue. Has various species of animals and reptiles. Don't expect it to be a large zoo in the city with the price tag you paid for the entrance fee. Gets crowded even during weekdays with plenty of child and families come for a stroll.

An affordable way to see some animals and spend some time in the Shinsekai area. Only 500 yen for adult admission and they have a good variety of animals. It seems like a fairly large portion of the zoo is currently being renovated or under construction so there may be more to come in future.

It's one of my favorite places in Osaka! First, this zoo is only 500 yen for one entree fee. This is much cheaper than the one in South Korea, Seoul. Second, I could feel that Dennoji zoo is being well-maintained. There aren't any bad animal smells. Rather, I felt nice tree smells. Third, you are able to see many awesome animals. Some of them are really hard to see in other zoo. For more information, the cafeteria in this zoo is good. Nice food, service, and many various food and desserts. Very strongly recommend!

A nice visit to the zoo during weekdays. Our second time here. Entrance to the zoo was really pleasant with the presence of a small park where you can picnic or just laze around. Definitely will come back.

Very neat zoo at a very low price. Its nice to visit with younger children or if you are a fan of zoos. But unfortunately many enclosures are not up to modern standards, and often way to small for the animals they display. But the newer areas are beautiful, such as the African Savanna area, and Penguin and Seal enclosures, so I'm sure the zoo will be updated and much more modern in the future. If you hope to see all animals in nice exhibits, I would wait another 10 years for things to be updated. But overall a nice experience with a great assortment of animals and a few nice exhibits between the old ones.

Must go if you're around and is looking for a place to go!!! This was one of the best zoo's I've ever been to, had so much fun here too. My fav areas were the penguin area and the lion one, the lions were so close up!!! There was a small little cave near the penguin area so you can go in and check the penguins out, it looks like the penguins are floating on top of you due to how clear the water and glass is. After I went to the monkey area and they were arguing 🤣 Almost half of the zoo heard it lol 🤣I took loads of pictures of the animals. The zoo was overall very cool, I will be coming back if I ever go to Osaka again! ❤️

We got off at Tennoji station then walked to Tennoji zoo. The place is quite big, there are several species of birds and mammals. Various types of birds in large cages. There are hippos, seals, penguins, red pandas and many more. Most visitors are kindergarten children. Unfortunately there are still many places that are being renovated.

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.

I went during March, but it was a pretty sunny day and I felt so bad for the animals in the heat. Especially for the polar bears, which have such a tiny enclosure. I really feel like polar bears should not be held in captivity and this experience solidified that for me. The 2 polar bears, the jaguar, and a wolf were just pacing back and forth, "looping" in their small spaces. The red pandas and a few other animals had some outdoor space, so at least I felt less bad viewing those... With other zoos I have been to, like the Jax Zoo in Florida, I feel like most animals have decent space even if it's not perfect by any means. It was interesting seeing animals up close but this whole experience definitely makes me unsupportive of zoos as a whole ... It was kinda depressing and I felt guilty for going. I wonder if the staff really care for some of the animals.😬

It was so hot when I went but they have delicious snowcones that were so cheap! Cutest kiwi merchandise and the cafe staff drew pictures on our tissues.

Nice local zoo in Osaka. Inexpensive entrance fee about 500 yen for adults and 200 yen for kids. Clean animal enclosures and well kept surroundings. Animals look healthy and habitat is good. Get off at dobutsen station and not in Tennoji station for a shorter walk to the zoo. Has nice souvenir shops as well.

From Singapore, visit last week w/ my children. Is heavy rain suddenly but the zoo provides umbrellas for visitors. Good range of different animals, saw quite a number of animals like monkeys, penguins etc having fun of their lives. Eagle, leopard sections seem to be sad cos of e small enclosure place. Zoo are currently having upgrading, hope these animals will have better and big space soon. Cafe food are nice and have children set meal too. Overall a nice visit even though of rain.

We visited the Tennoji zoo in Osaka and had a great time. We enjoyed seeing the different animals in their natural habitats, such as giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, tigers, orangutans, and flamingos. The zoo also has a reptile house, a nocturnal animal house, and a penguin pool. The only downside of the zoo is that half of it is under construction. The zoo is undergoing a major renovation to improve the facilities and create more spacious and comfortable environments for the animals. This means that some areas are closed off and some animals are not visible. We were disappointed that we could not see some of our favorite animals, such as monkeys, bears, and penguins. However, we understand that this is for the betterment of the zoo and the animals, and we look forward to visiting again when the construction is completed. Overall, we had a wonderful experience at the Tennoji zoo. The zoo is a great place to learn about animals and their habitats, and to appreciate the diversity of life on Earth. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the admission fee is reasonable. We highly recommend the Tennoji zoo to anyone who loves animals and nature.

Although big part of the Zoo is under construction, but still there is so much to explore. It’s actually quite huge than what i expected! There is Gift shop & Restaurant inside. There is plenty of gacha,vending machines & food trucks! Really enjoyed coming here as foreigners. Tickets are ¥500 each person.

For the price of entry and kids fee it’s not a bad place to visit. Good amount of shade on the really hot days, food wasn’t bad either. A lot of the animals were missing which was a bit disappointing but our favorite animal was the polar bear. We also enjoyed the reptile house. Very entertaining to watch. The area outside of the zoo is cool too, lots of places to eat and small shops. If you have time sure…. Why not visit this zoo. It’s a good deal for what you see.

Woooo beautiful ❤️

Avoid during the summer! Little kids all around the zoo were saying "atsui atsui" and everyone was a sweaty mess. Also the animals tend to hide in the shady area that's not very visible so most of the areas seemed to be to be so empty. Overall there are just so few things to see here. Best was the polar bear that pacing in stress, sleeping seals that liked to bark, dark bat exhibition and strange looking old apes. Once is enough.

Very walkable, great animal collection. My face is the bird exhibit/ huge aviary with some birds nesting too! I just love the birds flying freely here in a huge enclosure. I didn't smell anything bad too in the cages as the place is well maintained and cleaned. We enjoyed it a lot, good value too!

Tennoji Zoo has been there for decades. So it's obvious that you can't expect a facility offering the animal requirements of a modern zoo for each animal. But it's still a nice and clean place, the staff seems to take care as good as they can and the place is improving slowly for the better. With a very reasonable entrance fee (500 yen) it's worth a visit, specially for families.

This is a zoo right in the middle of the city. Frankly speaking, it wasn't anything amazing, and I would only recommend you to come here if you love to visit zoos or are a family that has children. There was no wait, and entrance was immediate after ticket purchase. There is a small food court inside and a souvenir shop as well. Some of the exhibitions are currently being renovated though.

An amazing place with a plethora of things to see right from aquatic animals to land dwelling ones. Giraffe, lions, wolves, birds of different species, fishes, crocodile, reptiles, penguins. There's a restaurant so food and drinks can be availed of. A souvenir shop to take away some good memrobilia. There's also a museum with animal mannequins. You need a full day to enjoy at the zoo.

Nice sized zoo. Looks like they're expanding to improve. Not too crowded to take time to enjoy. Lots of families (including grandparents) and young couples. Overheard announcements on the sound system in several languages, including English events happening in the park (feeding of animals to view). There was even entertainment which drew a large crowd.

* Tennoji Zoo: 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. 1. Price: * Adult - (500 yen). * Junior high / elementary school student - (200 yen). 2. Hours: * [9:30 - 17:00] | (Last entry 16:00). * May to September - [9:30 - 16:00].

The zoo was great. At the time we went (December 2023) -The bird exhibits were closed due to the bird flu. -The bear exhibits were a little dated -The penguin exhibit was amazing. It looked new and was well maintained. -the sea lion exhibit looked new as well.

Last February 6, 2024 I visited Tennoji Zoo in the afternoon. Its wonderful leisurely walk going around inside the zoo, watching, observing unique animals like wolf, Hyena, nocturnal animal, many kinds of birds, fishes and the area are so clean, not smelly and educational, lot of information about the animals.

Some of the animals were not available in the zoo, but appart from that it was a great experience. I wouldn't recommend you to come in august though, the heat is very strong and theres not a lot of places with ac.

Not so many animals. Have a few each species. Have to walk around 1km from the metro. Cleanliness is good in Japan standard. It’s too hot for summer.

Place is definely outdated (built in 1915 and Japan's third oldest zoo) but there's a big construction going on, I really hope that they make better enclosures for the animals that are temperature controlled and looks more like their natural habitat. The animals look very sad in their small cages. Although they are out to observe i think only for a while then they go to a different private place at the back sometimes to maybe rest or eat. Staff were very friendly and accomodating nonetheless and I saw some enclosures being cleaned well. I hope this zoo can improve soon for the sake of the animals.

To everyone visiting Japan! This is the Japanese style of zoo! After relaxing and relaxing by looking at the animals here, let's drink beer at "Shinsekai" (which means New World in Japanese)!

Wide range of animals to be seen in the zoo, which includes polar bear, red pands, penguins, alots of birds species etc. The entrance fees is reasonable and it costs 500 yen only. You can enter with your Osaka 1-Day Pass. We spent around 3 hours over there walking around the zoo. The zoo was well-maintained, but some of the sections are currently under renovation. Great place for people who wants to spend their weekends !!

Super underrated zoo! It’s a neighbourhood zoo around Shinseikai, and it’s only 3 minutes walk from my hotel 😍 The zoo was super well maintained and the animals are very well taken care off. Perhaps I’m visiting on November where the temperature is colder, the animals seems more relaxed. There’s a polar bear in the zoo, and it’s also my first time seeing a Kiwi bird 🐦 Many pre-schools will bring the kids to the zoo, and it’s such a joy to see them enjoying the zoo as much as we do! The experience is great and it’s only for 500 yen, plus, if you are holding an Osaka Amazing Pass, it’s totally free 😍 Kudos to the team who maintain the zoo so properly 😍

If you're around Tennouji, you might want to visit this zoo. It's not very big, but hey it's really clean and doesn't smell bad (unlike the zoo in my country). Entrance is ￥500, but if you have Osaka Amazing Pass then it's free. Location wise, it's a stone's throw away from the Tennoji Sta. There are many animals in the zoo, most notably the sea lions, polar bear and also the pair of giraffe couple, Harukas and Kouya. Facilities are clean and well maintained. There's a water dispensing machine near the entrance so you can fill up your bottles there.

The playful polar bear is the star attraction. So is the seal. And the sea lion. And the penguins. And the wolves... Alright, everyone is a star. Just go pay them a visit.

It was hot when we went there, no elephant but saw a number of animals, a single polar bear. The polar bear looked sad and you could see him biting at a safety cone in his enclosure. There were many flamingos and bats. The birds enclosure was great to take pictures and get close to the different birds. No animal petting area. We rented the elephant pushcar for my 4 yr old. It was heavy to push, would probably be easier to rent the stroller instead. But once she saw the pushcar, there was no turning back. There is an indoor area with animal bones, they were throughly entertained in the matted area inside, 4 and 6 year old.

We came here during our Japan trip recently and enjoyed ourselves here! Best period to come during Autumn where the trees were of all colours. The animals were lovely and seemed happy! Also enjoyed the many zones to explore and there were also many photo spots! If you've got an hour or two to spare while you're around Shinsekai Osaka, do drop by!

Tennoji Zoo is a zoo located in Tennoji Park in Tennoji Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. Opened on January 1, 1915, this zoo has the third longest history in Japan. A comprehensive urban zoo with around 1,000 animals of around 200 species in an area of ​​around 11 hectares. In Japan, it is the second largest after Ueno Zoo, located in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Admission is ¥500 for adults, ¥200 for teenagers, and free for young children and seniors over 65. It is closed on Mondays and on other days of the week it is open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. The zoo has restrooms, restaurants and shops selling many “kawaii” products.

Been amazed with these creatures. Nice way to release your stress in life 😁

The entrance ticket is only 500¥ for an adult. Have quite activities to do during day. Can linger in the zoo for hours. The location is great as it is pretty close to the television tower which you can go up and enjoy the view after the zoo.

The place is absolutely beautiful, but to be honest the display cages are too cramped so I'm concerned on the animals moving range

It’s a kind of “small” zoo in the south part of Osaka city actually Tennoji you can find a wide variety of animals in a “big” enough space, also before arriving to the entrance or when you leave you can make shopping in different stores or also eat in some of the many restaurants they have around the area, you can get there by midosuji line and jr line there might be some other one or 2 train lines it I’m not aware of it. Nice place to spend some hours with your children.

Though with very limited time, I manage to see hippopotamus, rhinoceros, lion, tiger, hyena giraffe and other animals from Africa. A number of birds are present too. I will return again to see other animals present in the zoo.

Around this zoo is smell like the animals near beside you. And exactly in front of the zoo there is food shop area called Shinsekai. You must eat the okonomiyaki, takoyaki or some kind of food that sold there because the taste is so yummy and cheap compared it in Tokyo.

There's a focus on large African animals that ought not to be kept in such small spaces. No English website. In 2021? Quite staggering!

Poor jaguar looked so bored, pacing back and forth in its tiny enclosure, with a complete and utter lack of stimuli. Families come and point at it, look at it for less than a few seconds and move on. Is it really right for us to seize animals from their natural habitats to subjugate them to captivity, particularly this kind?

500yen for the ticket, quite a well maintained zoo. Unfortunately Elephants had their day off.

A nice quaint zoo with a diverse range of animals. Prices are very affordable, with special rates for kids/students up till Junior High Level (16/17 years old), which is why there are plenty of them to be seen. One of the main attractions is the petting zoo, where you can buy feed to give the Noma Horses and some of the other animals, there will usually be a line for that though!

I've been told it was a relatively less-maintained (by Japanese standards) attraction. To some extent they are true; a few less-known animals are unavailable, but perhaps the largest loss is the elephant. But I still find it enchanting. They have different sections with different themes such as Reptiles, African Savannah, Arctic, Aviary etc. They also have rhinos and lions and giraffes and bats and mountain goats and flamingos and sea otters and black bears and polar bears and penguins various brightly colored monkeys and birds. It's still among the best of the zoos I've visited.

Visited on a rainy Sunday and there was not much crowd. Despite the rain, many animals could still be seen. Their enclosures are very well maintained yet still representative of their natural habitat. Ticket was extremely affordably priced at 500yen and souvenirs are very affordable too. Highly recommend especially for animal lovers!

Nice zoo, decent selection of animals. They have an oddly large Koala enclosure, compared to other enclosures in the zoo (e.g. The tiny tiger enclosure). Zoo was clean. Great for families as there is a petting zoo (check times in advance, some days require advanced reservations to interact with the smaller animals). Washrooms aplenty.

They have lot of animals, a good place to go.

Great zoo! It's small, but you can still see a wide variety of animals. For 1 coin (500 yen), it's a great place to spend the afternoon.

Cheap tickets, JPY$500 per person. It’s not a big zoo, around two hours if you stop at every single animal. It’s very well organized, the route is quite simple. Most of the feeding shows are around 3:00pm to 4:00pm. There’s shows with the polar bears, sea lions, and wolves, all of them quite active and interesting.

A nice local zoo located in city area which can be access by public transport easily. It has decent amount of animals but still kept with a clean environment. Consider the entrance cost, it is recommended to pay a visit together with Tennoji Park

The entrance fee is cheap, the zoo is big enjoyed and loved by kids. There is rental stroller service also. Paid parkings are available in the surroundings. You would approximately need 3 to 4 hours in total to view and enjoy each animal.

Animals are well taken and active. They have 2 polar bears and bunch of eagles and I've never seen. Worth the money!

This zoo is not too big, but it has many kind of animals. My kid love this zoo. You just need 1 hour to go through the zoo and see all animal. This zoo has only 2 monkey and doesnt have kingkong or elephant.

Large zoo in the middle of the city of Osaka. Several exhibits were closed unfortunately but you can have a nice walk and lots of benches for rest. Definitely need more than two hours to explore every corner. They have yearly pass for about 2000 yen. Lots of people but feeling not crowded.

A lovely zoo in Osaka. The zoo only costs ¥500 (about $3.75) which makes it a great visit on the cheap. The exhibits are fun and informative and the park is very comfortable. They sell a type of fried chicken with a ramen noodle coating which is definitely worth a try.