Kagoshima City Hirakawa Zoological Park
鹿児島市平川動物公園
The only zoo in Kyushu with koalas. Meet about 130 species as giraffes and zebras roam against a backdrop of Sakurajima and Kinko Bay.
A zoo with Sakurajima as its backdrop
Kagoshima City Hirakawa Zoological Park is the city's zoo, in Hirakawa-cho, Kagoshima. It is home to about 1,000 animals of around 130 species.
What really sets it apart is the view. Beyond the Africa zone, where giraffes and zebras amble about, you look out over Sakurajima, an active volcano, and Kinko Bay.
More koalas than anywhere else in Japan
Hirakawa is the only zoo in Kyushu where you can see koalas. According to its official website, it keeps more koalas than any other zoo in Japan. Koalas are sometimes moved between Japanese zoos for breeding, so the number changes from time to time.
There is also a corner where you can get close to the animals. Another treat is the ashiyu, a foot bath where you soak just your feet in hot spring water with your clothes on, while watching the animals and Sakurajima.
A funfair and a park bus too
The zoo has its own small funfair with a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel and go-karts. The grounds are large, and you can get around them on buses shaped like animals.
There are seasonal events as well: in 2026 the Autumn Zoo Festival runs from late September into October. In summer the zoo also opens in the evening on some days.
Getting there
Take the train from JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station to Goino Station (about 25 minutes), then walk about 20 minutes. By bus, get off at the Dōbutsuen (zoo) stop, about 5 minutes on from Fukuhira Nōkyō-mae. By car it is about 30 minutes from Kagoshima-Chuo Station, and there is a car park (paid).
Tips
- Admission has one price for Kagoshima City residents and another for everyone else (visitors from outside the city pay the non-resident rate). Check the amounts on the official website.
- Every year the zoo opens in the evening on Saturdays and Sundays in August. It's a chance to see what the animals get up to at night, which is quite different from the daytime.
- The zoo is closed over the New Year holidays (29 December to 1 January).
Sources
Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
