Say hello to koalas at Hirakawa Zoo in Kagoshima

Christmas is just around the corner—thinking of taking your little ones on a family trip? If you’reJapan, besides Tokyo and Kyoto, where else is a great choice? If you have the chance to travel with your children, this time we’ll introduceKagoshima’s hugely popular “Hirakawa Zoo,” where you can get up close to adorable animals, learn about nature, and enjoy plenty of fun activities.

Kagoshima’s Hirakawa Zoo is home to around 1,000 animals from 136 species, and is alsoJapan’s Kyushu region’sonly natural animal park where you can see koalas. When visiting the zoo, the highlight, of course, is getting to meet the animals up close.

In addition to meeting the animals, Hirakawa Zoo offers a variety of hands-on experiences daily, such as letting kids pet guinea pigs, sheep, and rabbits, or listening to zookeepers explain penguin ecology while feeding them—both fun and educational.