Tama Zoological Park

Up close with the animals

Sleiman Azizi Oct 11, 2018 - 2 min read

It took a good solid moment or two to locate this tiger, resting as it was high up in its space. Lord of its domain, this tiger exudes a healthy primal weight.

Bears are one of the more intelligent creatures in the world. Capable of reasoning, this one looked at me as if I owed him money...

A grey heron. This one has its eyes on the prize. I wasn't sure what that prize was but it seemed to know what it was looking at.

One of my favourite animals, elephants exude intelligence and dignity. This one, I felt, seemed to be in a reflective mood.

By the entrance lies the Insectarium, home of, well, insects. With swarms of butterflies all fluttering about, I was fortunate enough to land this shot.

Only a lioness could get away with lying in the middle of a road. I remember taking this photo thinking, "She's got every right in the world to do that."

Owls are one of my favourite creatures. An affinity with the night, an all piercing gaze, a nonchalant confidence. And yet in this photo, I see a sense of the vulnerable.

I think I could animals watch all day if I had the chance. People too, but that's another story. Being an obviously personal thing for me, that feeling of "Yes! I saw you move snake!" while everyone else is trudging past after a brief ho-hum glance is something that I find quite appealing.

Tama Zoological Park, a spacious and hilly zoo, lies on the western outskirts of Tokyo in Hino City. Visiting with some friends and family, one of my abiding memories of this zoo was the lion enclosure. Looking around, I noticed one lioness watching the human children run past the glass barrier. Scores of them went squealing by in delight chasing after whatever their fresh minds were imagining. But in one terrifying moment, the lioness' eyes switched from relaxed mode and for the briefest of moments, blazed with the signs of the hunt. In a flash, they reverted back to the relaxed. Those children would thankfully never know what never happened to them. Don't mess with lions...

There are, of course, many other animals at Tama Zoo. However, unlike the animals in this photo article, that lioness' moment caught me by surprise and I wasn't able to take a picture of her. Nonetheless, her personality and her magnificently wild core remain embedded in my mind to this very day.

Much like Japan itself, the chance to be able to observe these animals - and to enjoy that observation - is very satisfying.

If you're coming from Tokyo, take the Keio Line from Shinjuku, change to the Dobutsu-en line at Takahata-Fudo station, then get off at Tama Dobutsu Koen station. The zoo is right in front of the exit. You could also take the Tama Monorail for a pleasant ride from Tachikawa-kita or Tachikawa-minami stations on the Chuo line.

Sleiman Azizi @sleiman.azizi

I'm a Japanese Permanent Resident with over 650 published articles on Japan as well as 5 English language books inspired by traditional Japanese literature.I'm also a Japan Travel expert for Tokyo, so if you've anything to say about Japan's never ending capital - or just Japan in general - don't ...