Fireball’s summer holiday is coming to an end. Since his mummy and eight-month-old baby sister are not big fans of intense summer heat, he pretty much had to stay indoors. So, on Daddy’s day off last Friday, we decided to visit Ichikawashi Dousyoku Butsuen (市川市動植物園 / Ichikawa-Shi Zoological & Botanical Garden), a mini local zoo.

Opening hours:
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Usually closed on Mondays.
Please check the official website for closing dates.

Admission Fee
Adult: 420 yen
Elementary/Junior High School Children: 100 yen
Children before Elementary School: Free

Car Park
500 yen per day

See access to Ichikawa City Zoo here (in Japanese).
Alternatively, click here for an English PDF of the Ichikawa City Map (See 1A) to see how to get there.

 

 

Area Attractions

 

 

Petting Zoo

In the Nakayoshi Hiroba (なかよし広場 / “Buddy Area”), there are many friendly tamed animals for the children to interact with, such as the guinea pigs, chicks, ducks, sheep, goats, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, etc. When we were there, a zookeeper was giving a talk on how to hold the guinea pigs and chicks before we were allowed to handle them. Sadly, my son wasn’t interested at all. So we skipped the next session with bunny hands-on, which is scheduled in the afternoon (2 – 3:30 p.m.).

In the same compound, we got to see a couple of gorgeous Snowy Owls in cages. They used to have a Gin Kitsune (ギンギツネ/ Silver Fox), but it passed away due to old age.

 

 

Domesticated Animal Hut (家畜舎)

Donkey, cow, pig, ponies… I understand. I’m not sure why a family of Capybara (カピバラ) is staying in this particular compound. I didn’t dare touch them because they don’t look so domesticated to me, and I know so little about them. LOL

 

 

Other Creatures Big & Small

Apart from the domesticated animals, they do have different areas for wild birds (emu, flamingoes, etc.); small wild animals (Red Lesser Panda, Meerkats, Raccoons, Tanuki, Foxes, Porcupines, Otters, etc.); and a wide range of monkeys (which includes Lemurs, Orangutans, etc.). Not bad for a small zoo!

Unfortunately, since Japan’s summer is sooooo HOT, the majority of the animals were snoozing away! We didn’t get to see any “Nagashi Kawauso” (streaming otters) in action. Of which, the Asian small-clawed otters playfully slide down water pipe installations in their area.

 

 

Mini Railway

All aboard! Here is my personal favorite – Mini Tetsu Hiroba (ミニ鉄道広場). I think no little boy can resist a train ride! Especially a toy Shinkansen (bullet train)! Best of all, it costs only 100 yen per ride for an adult or child (must be over one year old).

Train Timings:
9:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
12:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

 

 

Museum

The Municipal Museum of Natural History in Ichikawa (自然博物館) is located on the third floor, near the zoo entrance. This is an informative place, which introduces the various living creatures staying in Ichikawa City.

 

 

The Water Play Area

A serene Shinsui Hiroba (river/water area), where one can relax or try to catch a Zarigani (crayfish). The zoo prepares simple fishing rods and baits for us. Thank goodness the lobster-like thingy was not in the mood to be caught; otherwise, I do not know what to do with a pet crayfish. Whew!

 

 

Nearby Attractions

The day ended with a BUMPY finale. Fireball, being his usual self, ran amok despite his mother’s stern warnings, fell head down, and ended up with a big bump! SIGH… So we had to cut short the trip and did not venture to the nearby Botanical Gardens (自然観察園) or Rose Garden (バラ園), which are within 10 minutes and 5 minutes of the zoo entrance, respectively. Both places are admission-free and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.