Nagoya City Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens Autumn Festival
We are holding our annual autumn event, the “76th Nagoya City Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden Autumn Festival”!
This year, we’re also hosting a Top 10 Most Popular Animals event! Your votes will decide the number one favorite!
There will also be an endangered species walk rally to enjoy every day, as well as talk events mainly on weekends and public holidays where you can hear from zookeepers and plant caretakers!
And even after the Autumn Festival ends, we’re planning maple-viewing and autumn foliage illumination events!
Be sure to come visit the ever-exciting Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden♪
◆27th Most Popular Animals Top 10
Vote for your favorite animal and help decide the most popular star of Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens!
Voting period: Saturday, October 10 – Tuesday, November 3 (National Holiday)
Results announcement: Sunday, November 15, from 11:00 a.m.
Location: Sea Lion Plaza
◆Baby Koala Naming Ceremony
Announcing the results of the nickname vote for the baby koala born this January!
Naming Ceremony: Sunday, October 25, 11:00 a.m.–
★For information on the ongoing nickname vote for the baby koala, please visit the official website.
(Voting period: Saturday, September 12, 2026 – Monday, October 12, 2026 [national holiday])
◆Colorful Walk Rally
During the event period, rally sheets will be distributed at each gate from 9:00 to 15:00.
Visit the five points featuring plants and animals related to colors in the park, and answer the quiz!
Prize exchange available until 16:30 at the Main Gate and the Botanical Garden Gate.
◆Take a Walk with the Zoo Director
Guided Tour of the Director’s Recommended Spots
Dates & Times: ① Sunday, October 18, 10:30~
② Sunday, November 15, 10:00~
*Canceled in case of rain
On November 15, the results of the Top 10 Most Popular Animals will be announced. We’ll walk to the announcement venue while looking back on the previous Top 10!
Meeting Place: In front of the fountain at the main gate
◆Animal Talk
*Canceled in the event of rain on the day (except for those held at the World Medaka Aquarium and the Natural Animal House)*
The zookeepers will introduce the charms of the animals!
[Dates] Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays during the Autumn Festival period
◆Get closer to a giraffe’s eye level
*Canceled in case of rain*
Observe the giraffes from a different perspective in an area that is not usually open to the public.
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the event period, 9:00–16:00
Location: Reticulated Giraffe House
◆Junior Maple Doctorate Holder * Limited to junior high school students and younger
This is a stamp rally around Okuike, where the autumn leaves are beautiful. Can you become a maple leaves expert too?
Event period: Saturday, November 14 – Sunday, December 6, 9:00–15:00 *Prize exchange available until 16:30
Reception: Botanical Garden Gate, Hoshigaoka Gate
◆Let's Walk with the Botanical Garden Director: A Whimsical Stroll
*Canceled in case of rain*
Date & Time: Saturday, October 10 and Saturday, October 24, from 1:30 PM each day
Meeting Place: In front of the Botanical Hall
Botanical Talk
Enjoy explanations from the plant curator on plant highlights that you wouldn’t notice just by looking.
Dates and times: Sat 10/17 13:30–, Sun 10/18 15:00–, Tue 11/3 (Holiday) 13:30–, Sun 11/8 13:30–, Sun 11/22 15:00–, Mon 11/23 (Holiday) 13:30–
*Please check the event calendar for each date on the official website for the theme and venue.
*May be canceled in the event of rain.
Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens
- Don’t miss the Asian tropical rainforest area opened in 2023 and the new jaguar enclosure!
With the largest number of species kept in Japan, from tiny medaka fish to huge Asian elephants, visitors can observe a wide variety of animals.
At the Gorilla and Chimpanzee House, home to Shabani, the handsome Western lowland gorilla famous for his good looks, as well as diverse exhibition facilities such as Zoogium (the Asian elephant house) and the koala house, visitors can do more than just observe the animals. There are also abundant educational displays introducing their ecology and habitats, allowing you to learn while having fun.
The botanical garden displays about 7,000 species of plants, making use of a large greenhouse and the natural forest of the hilly area. In spring, the Cherry Blossom Corridor is adorned with 1,000 cherry trees of about 100 varieties. In autumn, around 500 trees centered around Okuike Pond and the Japanese garden turn brilliant colors, making it one of the city’s leading spots for autumn foliage. In addition, you can enjoy seasonally charming scenery such as the camellia garden, rose garden, and flower fields.
Details
| Schedule | Saturday, October 10, 2026 – Monday, November 23 (National Holiday) |
|---|---|
| Regular Holiday | Mondays (however, if Monday falls on a national holiday or a substitute holiday, the next non-holiday is the closing day), 12/29–1/1 |
| Time | 9:00–16:50 (admission until 16:30) |
| Venue | Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens |
| Cost | Paid: Adults 800 yen Free: Junior high school students and younger |
| Price Details | ●Accepted credit cards VISA, MasterCard, JCB, UnionPay, AMERICAN EXPRESS, Diners Club, DISCOVER ●Accepted electronic money Transportation IC cards (manaca, TOICA, Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA), iD, QUICPay, WAON |
| Contact | Nagoya City Higashiyama General Park Management Division |
| TEL | 052-782-2111 (Inquiries in English not accepted) |
| Home Page | http://www.higashiyama.city.nagoya.jp/ |
| Access | ●3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Higashiyama Koen Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line ●7-minute walk from Exit 6 of Hoshigaoka Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line *Hoshigaoka Station is more convenient for the Botanical Garden.* |
