Higashiyama Zoo Part 2: Food Shops, Animals in the Rain, and the Best Kind of Tired
After conquering the amusement park, it was time for the most important mission of any zoo day: lunch.
The Food Shops: Too Many Good Options
The food area at Higashiyama Zoo is split into several zones with different tenants in each, which means there’s a surprisingly wide variety of places to eat — and also means you’ll spend a solid few minutes just wandering around trying to decide. Especially when you’re hungry!
Since it was packed at lunchtime, we just grabbed the first table we could find. We ended up in an area with Wakashachiya, a Nagoya-born curry udon chain, and Nigiritate, a shop specializing in freshly-made onigiri. Both had Higashiyama Zoo-exclusive menu items, which was adorable. There was also a brand-new cheeseburger concept store from Freshness Burger in the mix.
My older son immediately locked eyes with the cheeseburger and bought one — gone in about sixty seconds 😄 My younger one had just started wearing braces, so I was a little worried about what he could manage. I shouldn’t have worried at all. He demolished three ikura (salmon roe) onigiri from Nigiritate and a side of fries.
I had a beer and watched them eat. Honestly, perfect afternoon.
Looking around, there were so many families with little ones — tired parents trying to soothe crying toddlers, hot food going cold before anyone got a chance to eat it. I found myself thinking: we had that phase too. Hang in there. Silently cheering them on from across the food court 😊
Into the Zoo: Our Little Teru Teru Bozu
With full stomachs, we finally headed into the zoo — and that’s when the rain started. Out came the raincoats. Walking behind the boys, I couldn’t help laughing: their hooded silhouettes looked exactly like teru teru bozu, the little ghost-shaped dolls Japanese kids hang up to wish for sunny weather. Adorable.
Komodo Dragon: The Only One in Japan
Our first stop was the Komodo dragon enclosure. This is genuinely rare — this is the only Komodo dragon in Japan. Last time we visited, it was so crowded we could barely see it, and the dragon wasn’t moving anyway. Today? Practically empty. And the dragon seemed to know it — he walked right up close to the glass, as if putting on a show just for us. Up close, the scale of this animal is something else entirely.
Gorillas: A Rainy Day Exclusive
Next up: the gorillas. Nobody wanted to get wet, apparently — including them. We watched the whole troop do little sprints indoors to avoid the rain, and it was genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve seen at a zoo. So human. “You can only see this on a rainy day,” I told the boys, and they totally agreed 😄
Red Panda: My Younger Son’s Dream Come True
This was the one my younger son had been looking forward to all day. He is a devoted red panda fan — his stuffed red panda basically goes everywhere with him. Standing in front of the real thing, his eyes were absolutely sparkling. He kept holding up the stuffed animal toward the enclosure, trying to show it to the actual red panda. I could have watched him doing that all day 😊
Elephants: Big Brother’s Favorite
Last stop: the elephants, for my older son. Even in the rain, they were outside playing. We spotted a baby elephant wrapping its trunk around an adult’s — “is that its mom?” the boys wondered, and we all stood there watching and smiling. Then I glanced over at my younger son. He was barely keeping his eyes open.
Asleep Before We Left the Station
Honestly? Fair enough. He’d navigated Nagoya’s subway system, ridden sixteen amusement park attractions, eaten three onigiri and fries, and walked around a zoo in the rain. Of course he was done.
We headed out, boarded the train home, and he was out cold before we’d even left the station.
Later that evening, back home and fully rested, he told me — multiple times, with a huge smile — how much fun the day was. He couldn’t even remember the train ride back.
Heavy bags, sore feet, a dented wallet, constant vigilance — yes, outings with kids come with all of that. But that smile, and watching them sleep the deep sleep of a truly well-spent day? Worth every bit of it.
If You’re Visiting Nagoya, Come to Higashiyama Zoo!
The staff are wonderfully kind and always happy to help, so even first-time visitors will feel right at home. The food shops are full of Nagoya local flavors and zoo-exclusive dishes — there’s always something new to try no matter how many times you visit!
One Last Thing: Find the Lovers’ Bench
Higashiyama Zoo has an official character called Zubo, a little fairy who calls the zoo home. Somewhere in the park, there’s a bench where Zubo sits — and it’s known as a Lovers’ Spot. See if you can find it with someone special!
We had the boys sit there for a photo 😄 The background is a hint. Come to Nagoya and give it a try!
