Travel / Osaka Prefecture
Tennoji Zoo
Opened in 1915, this urban zoo has over 110 years of history. Spanning approximately 11 hectares, it houses around 1,000 animals of about 170 species, located right next to Tennoji Park (tennoji) and Abeno Harukas.
Photo: Sakai Yayoi / CC0 1.0
- Access
- Tennoji Gate: 5–10 min walk from Osaka Metro Midosuji/Tanimachi Line and JR 'Tennoji Station,' or Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line 'Osaka Abenobashi Station' / Shinsekai Gate: 5–10 min walk from Osaka Metro 'Dobutsuen-mae Station,' 'Ebisucho Station,' or JR/Nankai 'Shin-Imamiya Station'
- Duration
- 1.5–3 hours (half a day if you take your time)
- Price
- Adults ¥800 / Elementary and junior high school students residing in Osaka City: free; those from outside Osaka City: ¥200 / Children not yet of school age: free
- Hours
- 9:30 AM–5:00 PM (last admission 4:00 PM). On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in May and September, open until 6:00 PM (last admission 5:00 PM)
- Closed
- Every Monday (if a public holiday, the following weekday), year-end and New Year's (Dec 29–Jan 1)
- Source: 天王寺動物園 公式 - 入園案内・営業時間 (confirmed July 8, 2026)
- Source: 天王寺動物園 公式 - 施設概要 (confirmed July 8, 2026)
Prices and hours may change. Please check the official site before you go.
Highlights
The zoo is divided into zones designed to resemble the animals' natural habitats, including the 'Africa Savanna Zone,' 'Elephant Village,' 'World of Birds,' and 'Bird Paradise.' Many individual animals are introduced by name, such as the zoo's star polar bear 'Hou-chan,' red panda 'Sakuya,' and hippopotamus 'Tetsuo.' The colony of Humboldt penguins and the elephants who arrived from Malaysia are also must-sees. With around 1,000 animals of about 170 species, the scale is impressive for a city zoo—even simply walking from one gate to the other is well worth the visit.
Admission & Tips for Getting Around
Admission is ¥800 for adults. Elementary and junior high school students residing in Osaka City enter free, those from outside the city pay ¥200, and children not yet of school age enter free. Hours are 9:30 AM–5:00 PM (last admission 4:00 PM), though on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in May and September only, the zoo stays open until 6:00 PM with last admission at 5:00 PM. Closed every Monday (or the following weekday if a holiday) and over the year-end and New Year's period. There are two entrances—the Tennoji Gate and the Shinsekai Gate. If you're coming from Tennoji Station or Abeno Harukas, the Tennoji Gate is the natural choice; if you want to combine the visit with street food in Tsutenkaku and Shinsekai, entering from the Shinsekai Gate makes more sense.
A History Dating Back to 1915
Tennoji Zoo opened on January 1, 1915 (the 4th year of the Taisho era), and has now accumulated over 110 years of history. Nestled in a corner of Tennoji Park, not far from Tsutenkaku Tower, it has continued to operate as a downtown zoo while watching Osaka change around it. The exhibits and facilities have been updated over the decades, but its role as an 'oasis in the city heart,' rooted in the local community, has remained unchanged since the day it opened.
Combining with Nearby Attractions
Step out of the Tennoji Gate and you're immediately greeted by the grassy plaza 'tennoji,' complete with cafés and play equipment—a perfect spot to sit and recharge after the zoo. Abeno Harukas is within easy walking distance, making it simple to build a half-day to full-day itinerary that includes the shops around Tennoji Station. On the Shinsekai Gate side, Tsutenkaku Tower and the kushikatsu restaurants are right there, so finding somewhere to eat after your visit is never a problem. The simple act of walking between the two gates means you can shift your day toward either 'zoo + a rest in the park' or 'zoo + downtown street food'—a genuine advantage of this location.
How this character would spend the day
Kenta's Route (Half-Day Course with Kids)
- 10:00Enter through the Tennoji Gate. Right after opening it's relatively uncrowded, and you can tackle the larger areas while the kids still have plenty of energy.
- 10:15Head to the Africa Savanna Zone. The animals here are impressively large, so you can get the 'whoa!' reactions early on.
- 11:00Watch the elephants at Elephant Village. It's easy to linger here, so check the time once before moving on.
- 11:45Take a quick look at the World of Birds and Bird Paradise. Kids tend to lose interest faster here since there's less movement, so keep it short.
- 12:30Exit through the Tennoji Gate and have lunch at one of the cafés on the grassy plaza. After all that walking in the morning, sit down properly and recover.