It was a beautiful afternoon. We were nearing the end of our stay in Tokyo, and wanted to go somewhere different, someplace that would engage (hopefully) our little Ohm.
We'd gone shopping, we'd visited temples and shrines, we'd climbed the tower of Tokyo, we'd visited museums, we'd sampled all sorts of foods and found ourselves in a variety of situations, but we hadn't really done anything kid friendly.
Where did the parents, of the few kids who lived in Tokyo take them on the weekends?
Why to the zoo. The Ueno Zoo.
Tokyo's Ueno Zoo is located inside Ueno Park. The Park reminded me of Central Park at Columbus Circle. There were street vendors, performers and people enjoying the afternoon.
Here we had two men playing "Hey Jude" on wind pipes.
These large magnificent crows were all over the park. They were loud and shook the branches of trees when they landed.
Before you reach the entrance to the zoo, you'll find this carousel. Kid friendly Tokyo was emerging at last!
The landscaped trees are so artful. Ueno Zoo is immaculate. It's modern, it's clean, it's edgy.
This bird looked like a mythical creature out of a Harry Potter movie. I had never seen one of these suckers before. They don't have these in the zoos in New York! I couldn't stop staring as it stalked back and forth bopping its head and snapping its beak.
Hungry?
Well he is!
This little guy groomed his mamma to perfection.
And often a zoo is a depressing place. This owl was not enjoying his time behind bars. Who could blame him?
The giant panda display was a zoo feature. Unfortunately he looked mournful. The ethics surrounding zoos, very tricky.
Elephants are my favorite!
Ohm liked the polar bear.
More than the polar bear, he enjoyed his ice cream break. As with most zoos, there is a large food court area where you can purchase all sorts of treats and goodies.
The Ueno Zoo is a great day trip. It definitely presents a different side of Tokyo, a slower, more family friendly energy that you're hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Ueno holds an impressive variety of animals, some of which you're not likely to find in zoos in the U.S. lending to an exotic appeal.
If it is Spring or Summer, make sure to plan extra time to hang out in Ueno Park. For a full day trip to Ueno, it's good to note that the Tokyo Museum is across from the zoo.
So all in all, we were successful. Ohm was happy, he got to see some animals and we were happy to leave the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, if only for a few hours.
Don't forget to "like" me on Facebook!