Higashiyama Zoo by Train: How a Rainy Day Turned Into the Perfect Amusement Park Hack

Higashiyama Zoo is one of our family’s favorite places to visit. We usually go by car, but today I decided to take the train with the kids — and it turned into quite the adventure!

The Train Challenge: Teaching Kids to Navigate Nagoya’s Subway

The reason I chose the train? Life skills. My kids grew up during COVID, which means they didn’t get much practice using public transportation. Things like buying tickets, reading route maps, and figuring out transfers are still unfamiliar territory for them. Nagoya’s subway system has quite a few lines and can be genuinely confusing, even for adults — and my younger one still hasn’t learned all the kanji he’d need to read the signs!

We could have just looked everything up on a smartphone, or used an IC card to breeze through the gates. But I wanted them to figure it out the old-fashioned way. So I stepped back and just watched. Both of them checked the route map again and again, worked it out between themselves, and made it to the destination on their own. I was quietly very proud.

Rainy Day Secret: The Amusement Park Was Practically Empty

We finally arrived at the zoo — under some very grey, threatening skies. But here’s the thing: that was the plan. When the weather looks like rain, the park gets surprisingly quiet. I knew some rides might shut down if it actually rained, so we headed straight to the amusement park first.

And sure enough — basically empty. We were getting on rides almost without waiting, cycling through attraction after attraction. In about an hour, we’d ridden all 16 attractions. Then went back and rode the favorites again. The kids were in their element.

At Higashiyama, kids who are elementary school age or older can ride without a parent, which meant I got to sit on a covered bench and relax 😄 It was around 24°C — genuinely pleasant — and watching them run around at full speed from a comfortable distance was honestly perfect.

A Moment That Made Me Proud

Something caught my eye while I was resting. My older son — who would normally make a beeline for the biggest, most thrilling roller coaster — was riding the smaller, gentler rides with his little brother. Not because anyone told him to. Just naturally, instinctively choosing rides his brother could handle without being scared.

There are five school years between them, and at home they’ve gradually been spending less time together — older one with his friends, the younger one in his own world. But watching that moment, it was clear they still look out for each other. I saw real growth, real gentleness. One of those quiet moments that reminds you that things are going well 😊

Tips for Visiting Higashiyama Amusement Park

A few things worth knowing if you’re planning a visit:

• Weekends have an unlimited ride pass — if you’re planning to go on multiple rides, this is the way to go.
• Morning is less crowded. Most visitors head to the amusement park after touring the zoo, so get there first and beat the crowd.
• Don’t be put off by cloudy weather. Fewer people + faster ride turnover = more rides in less time.

After all that, the boys were well and truly satisfied — time for lunch at the food shop. But that’s a story for tomorrow 😀