Bamboo Palm is a petting zoo in a house and garden in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. Its kind of like what they call “animal cafes” in Japan. Except that there’s no drinks! But you can interact with most of the animals they have on site. There are about 30 different species in total. It is a wonderful experience and worth every single yenny.
The Animals at Bamboo Palm
The animals are much loved and well cared for at Bamboo Palm. The zoo curator is a regular Doctor Dolittle and, I am convinced, an animal whisperer. It maybe why all the animals that we’ve met at Bamboo Palm are so happy, placid and easy to interact with. My favorite animals at this zoo are the red tailed hawk “Ruffy” and the Japanese owl “Urara”. But the Kinkajou, Fuu-chan, is by far the most popular. She even has a fan club. Meanwhile, the meerkats have been on TV… even live TV!
Without further ado, some photos from Bamboo Palm…
Check out their Instagram for lots more cute photos and Youtube for videos.
Bamboo Palm Information
Name: Bamboo Palm バンブーパーム
Address: 478-2 Ikenobe, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1171. View on Google Maps.
Phone: 049ー257ー4921
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm, closed on Thursdays. However, with the pandemic, things are a little different. The main interaction sessions are only at 1 pm and 3 pm. Moreover, you need to book in advance to visit.
Cost: the base charge is 1000 yen for one hour. For that charge you can interact with the owls, ducks, sheep and a couple of other animals. Plus read as much as you like in their manga library room or play on the swing, trampoline or with the basketball net. If you want to interact with some of the rarer animals, such as the Kinkajou, you need to pay an additional fee. Generally its 500 yen per animal. You can get a special ticket for 1800 that allows you interact with four of the more unusual animals.
Bamboo Palm first featured on the article Kawagoe with kids: