A red panda walks along a wooden walkway at the Nogeyama Zoo in Yokohama’s Nishi district.
06:00 JST, July 16, 2024
A tram that used to run in Yokohama
Nogeyama Zoological Gardens is a 15-minute walk from the west exit of JR Sakuragicho Station in Yokohama. I walked through an area of restaurants before climbing a hill. Just as I was about to run out of breath, the entrance gate came into view.
The 3.3-hectare municipal zoo in Nishi Ward, Yokohama, occupies one-third of Nogeyama Park, which overlooks the Minato Mirai 21 district. The zoo is home to 1,300 animals from around 70 species, including lions, giraffes and red pandas. The zoo opened in 1951 as part of an amusement park, which closed in 1964 to make way for a reservoir. The zoo remained open and became free to enter.
“The park has become a popular walk for people like families and toddlers,” said zoo employee Miki Degawa, 25.
In one of the roofless areas, a popular red panda walks back and forth across a wooden walkway, much to the delight of visitors. On warm days, when the animal prefers to stay indoors, visitors can be comforted by stuffed red pandas and other goods available in the gift shop.
Top: A model of a polar bear can be seen in the “Shirokuma no Ie” (Polar Bear House). Bottom: A pair of black-headed spoonbills
Down on the left, next to the red panda house, is the “Shirokuma no Ie” (Polar Bear House), where polar bears were kept until 1999. The door to the room is secured with three locks — a reminder of how powerful polar bears can be. Four life-size models of the bear are placed in the sleeping area and in the outdoor exhibition area.
The zoo is also home to rare birds and was the first in Japan to successfully breed condors in 1972. Since 1989, the zoo has bred cagous, a rare bird found only in the wild in New Caledonia. A pair of black-faced spoonbills, whose beaks resemble a shamoji rice spoon, have also nested together at the zoo.
The park has been in operation for more than 70 years, so the Yokohama government is planning renovations due to its outdated facilities and lack of barrier-free access. However, the city has said the zoo will not change its free admission policy.
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Nogeyama Zoos
Address: 63-10 Oimasucho, Nishi Ward, Yokohama
Access: 10-minute walk from Hinodecho Station on the Keikyu Line or 15-minute walk from Sakuragicho Station on the JR Keihin-Tohoku/Negishi Lines
Opening hours: 09:30 – 16:30 Admission free. Closed on Mondays.
