Inokashira Park Zoo is good for animal photography
Inokashira Park Zoo is a good place to go if you want to photograph animals in Tokyo. It’s not perfect, but it has some nice exhibits and is easy to find. And entry isn’t expensive. It’s perfect for beginners.
By the way, the zoo is also famous for its sculptures. I wasn’t there for that. This time I just wanted to shoot the animals. No art, just the cute, furry stuff.
I’m not a real animal photographer. It’s not something I do much. If possible, I would like to change that. But it’s hard to do in Tokyo. There is so much I want to shoot, and I don’t have time for everything. I’m lucky Inokashira Park Zoo is near my house.
What is the zoo like?
- It’s old, but it is spacious.
- There are plenty of cafes.
- (In my opinion) most of the enclosures aren’t attractive.
- It’s not as big as Tama or Ueno Zoos. This one is more suited to kids.
- It’s photographer friendly.
What animals are at Inokashira Park Zoo?
- Birds
- Capybara
- Deer
- Eurasian Otter
- Fennec Fox
- Goats (open cage)
- Guinea Pigs
- Japanese Marten
- Japanese Squirrels
- Leopard Cats
- Mara
- Meerkats (open exercise area)
- Monkey (open cage)
- Penguins
- Wild Boar
Animal photography Tips
- Due to the nature of the enclosures, some of the animals will be far away. Zoom lenses will be useful.
- Enclosure bars can be a problem. To avoid your camera locking onto them:
- Zoom in on the animal
- Shoot wide open (if possible, f/2.8 or faster)
- Use manual mode
- These three steps should reduce the bars in your photos. In the worst case, you could clone them out in Photoshop.
Is it easy to photograph the animals?
- Many animals are in enclosures with thick bars that are also narrowly spaced. Auto-focus might lock onto them. Use manual focus.
- Some are in open areas making photography easy.
- Many of the enclosures have terrible lighting. You’ll be fighting shadows often.
Photographing Japanese Squirrels
- Squirrels are popular and have several enclosures. You can enter one of them. I recommend that one, as it is better than shooting through the outdoor cages.
- Shooting the squirrels is hard. They are small and fast. It might be better to camp at one of the food boxes and wait for them to visit it, which they do regularly.
The bird zoo
This is over the road and in Inokashira Park. You can enter on the same ticket, so don’t lose it. But to be bluntly honest, I don’t enjoy it, so I didn’t include it in this article.
Inokashira Park Zoo details
See the zoo’s location, opening hours, and other details on the official website.
Conclusion
Inokashira Park Zoo is a nice place to shoot animals in Tokyo. It has some good exhibits. The meerkats and squirrels would be at the top of the list for most people. They are definitely cute.
For beginner animal photography, I recommend this place, even with its problems. If you can go on a weekday, it isn’t crowded. You’ll be able to take your time. It’s the type of place to hone your skills to work with bars.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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