Himeji Central Park, Hyogo | Japan is Nippon

A Himeji theme park combining a drive-through safari, where your own car passes lions and giraffes, with a funfair. You can even feed white tigers.

A brown bear sitting up and raising a paw at Himeji Central Park — Photo: pelican from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Safari bus painted with a zebra face at Himeji Central Park — Photo: Martin Lewison from Forest Hills, NY, U.S.A., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A safari park and a funfair in one

Himeji Central Park is a huge theme park of about 190 hectares on the outskirts of Himeji, in Hyogo Prefecture. It opened in 1984. What makes it special is that it pairs a safari park at its heart with a full-scale amusement park, and it also has a swimming pool and an ice rink.

Its name comes from Central Park in New York. It is said to reflect how impressed the owner at the time was by the sight of squirrels running free there, and a wish for the park to become a central part of the local community.

A drive-through safari by car or bus

The biggest highlight is the Drive-Through Safari, where you drive your own car through areas in which carnivores and herbivores live in near-natural conditions. If you do not have a car, you can go round on the park's safari bus.

The Observation Ride in particular is a bus with a viewing space whose roof opens. The viewing space is at about the same height as the giraffes, so you can see the tops of their heads and watch elephants raise their trunks to beg for food up close. A guide explains each animal's features as you go.

Recently, a service has also started that lets you tour the safari in your own car with your dog.

Animals to meet on foot, and feeding

Walking Safari is an area where you walk a green, leafy course to see the animals, including rare white lions and white tigers.

Another draw is the wide choice of esayari (animal feeding) experiences. You can feed white tigers, white lions, Asian elephants, giraffes, red pandas, Asian small-clawed otters, African penguins and more. There is also an area where even small children can safely get close to animals, as well as pony rides.

Sky Safari lets you ride a ropeway and watch the animals' lives from the air. Since September 2026, a baby Asian elephant born at the park has also been on public view.

Getting there and getting around

From the north exit of JR Himeji Station, take a Shinki Bus bound for Central Park. By car it is about 55 minutes from Osaka and about 75 minutes from Kyoto.

You cannot walk between the safari and the amusement park; you move between them by free shuttle bus or by car. The shuttle bus does not pass through the Drive-Through Safari, so if you do not have a car and want to see it, book a safari bus at the reception on the amusement park side after you enter.

Tips

Safari bus seats are booked on the day, first come first served, after you enter the park, and you cannot book by phone. Bookings close 30 minutes before departure, so make your booking as soon as you arrive.
Local buses from Himeji Station are infrequent, and the timetable differs between weekdays and weekends or public holidays. Check the times for both directions on the official website before you set out. Services that stop at every stop also pass near Himeji Castle.
Safari bus running times can change from day to day, and some vehicles are sometimes taken out of service for inspection. You can check the day's service in the news section of the official website.