Kobe Animal Kingdom

神戸どうぶつ王国

A mostly indoor zoo where shoebills and capybaras are inches away

⚠ Closed Thursdays

Hours

Usually 10am–5pm (varies by date; see the official calendar). Closed Thursdays

Tickets

Ages 12+ ¥2,400; 65+ ¥1,900; elementary ¥1,200; ages 4–5 ¥500

Address

7-1-9 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku

Animals wander among flowers in giant greenhouses with hardly a cage in sight. A shoebill stands statue-still a few metres away, capybaras soak in their pool, birds sweep overhead, and in some zones kangaroos take food from your hand; everything is unusually close. So much is indoors that it works on rainy days and in midsummer. Plan around the bird flight show and the otter and red-panda talks and the day fills up fast.