A giant female panda Shin Shin eats bamboo at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on April 1, 2011. A pair of pandas, leased from China, arrived at Ueno Zoo on February 21, and are now displayed to the public after the zoo closed following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO/TOPSHOTS (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Ueno Zoo

Ueno & Yanesen


Japan’s oldest zoo, established in 1882, is home to animals from around the globe, but the biggest attractions are the giant pandas from China, Rī Rī and Shin Shin. Following several disappointments, the two finally had a cub, Xiang Xiang, in 2017. The zoo includes part of Shinobazu-iku and has a terrace right on the edge for good views. Across the causeway, there's a whole area devoted to lemurs, which makes sense given Tokyoites' general affection for all things cute.

Transportation

  • train: JR Yamanote line to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit

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