The second of April is my son Shion’s birthday. We’ve made a family tradition of going to the city zoo every year for his birthday. He has always had a great love of animals. He is probably ahead of most children his age in that he can name most animals in both Japanese and English. Every year he’s had a new favorite animal to which he wants to rush through everything and see.And this visit, though the second time for my daughter Tina, marked the first time which she had any recognition of the animals before her. Kagoshima’s Hirakawa Zoo is about thirty or forty minutes from my home by car. There is a bus which can take you there if you lack other means. If you decide to take the train, part of the way, please remember that Goino station and not Hirakawa station is the closest. It’s about twenty minutes by train from Kagoshima Chuo station, with an additional ten or fifteen minutes by bus.
We left bright and early. We had chosen a day before Shion’s birthday, on my day off, which promised good weather. We expected some crowds because it was still spring break, but maybe late enough in the vacation where people’s minds would be on back to school rather than outings. As we came up the road, it was nice to view the beautiful cherry blossoms for which the area is famous. They were some of the first we had had a chance to see. Off to the left, before the zoo, is Kinko-wan Park. It is one of the nicer parks in the city and likewise has very fine cherry trees for viewing. It’s an especially popular destination during cherry blossom season.
As we approached the gates, it appeared our forecast had been correct. There weren’t any crowds to contend with. We rented a baby stroller for Tina (hers is in the shop) and meandered over to the first attraction. The first scene to greet everyone is a field with low hills. It houses the giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and ostriches. There is also a pond with flamingoes in the front and to the side. The first time my son saw this, he had a grin from ear to ear. He was overwhelmed with seeing the giraffes and zebras up close and live, rather than just in picture books. But it seemed to hold less of a spectacle for him this time. And unfortunately, the rhinos were nowhere to be seen. My daughter, on the other hand, was quite happy pointing at the giraffes and babbling something about “big doggies”. I read that this first display attempts to create the image of the African savannah. The volcano Sakurajima looms in the distance and gives the appearance of Mount Kilimanjaro presiding over environs. We rounded this first section and turned toward the big cat cages. This part is only the backside of the big cat displays. You have to go around to the other side to see them outside their cages. However, this side is still a good spot to pass because many times they are sleeping in their cages or prowling along the bars, watching all the little human snacks go by. I carried my children, one by one, along the cages. They gaped at the pacing jaguar and leopard, which apparently weren’t all that hungry. As we left the cages, we went across to a less visited area at the back of the first section. There we found the rhinos asleep in an enclosure. It must be hard for them to catch up on sleep with ostriches, zebras, and giraffes running around. We followed the path around to the front of the big cat cages. Many of them were getting their exercise on the equipment in their enclosures. There was a new resident in his own little cage. A tiger had been born recently to the proud parents in the adjoining area. He was so cute. After leaving the cats, we came into simian country. It started with some busy chimps and ended with more monkeys than I could count. The monkeys here seem tamer than the ones I’ve seen at zoos in the U.S. They don’t make threatening or questionable gestures and they don’t throw all sorts of, well, you know.
We had to pick up the pace. My son had decided that the elephants were his favorite of all this year and he couldn’t wait to get to them. We rushed past the lemurs, the red pandas, and the cranes making the briefest stop at the peacock cage. Then it was on again, past the deer and llamas. We even completely avoided the reptile section. It was too bad. They have this really cool, giant alligator turtle. He’s a monster! My wife doesn’t like it. Shion couldn’t see past getting to the elephants, so I shrugged and kept them moving. We even skipped the koalas, kangaroos, and the forest critters. Come on, no koalas or kangaroos?! What’s the point? But Shion was fixing to have a fit if he didn’t see an elephant in ten seconds. Seeing as I couldn’t feed him to the tigers (they were too far), I got him to the elephants posthaste.
Talk about anti-climax. He stood there for all of three minutes and then promptly lost interest. Apparently, the elephants were not his actual favorite. What he really wanted to see were the rabbits. Arrgh! Foiled again, by a three year old! On the way though, my wife and I were happy to see some of our favorites. We took plenty of time in front of the otters and penguins. Just watching the penguins toddle along in their tuxes made us laugh.
So, now it was full steam ahead in pursuit of some bunnies. After reaching the petting zoo, we were pretty worn out. My wife stopped at a refreshments stand and we had a quick sit down. The timing was perfect. The staff announced they were about to open the petting area. In this small enclosure there are rabbits, guinea pigs, and even ducks and geese just waiting for that oh-so gentle handling only a small child can provide. By the time we got inside, the guinea pigs were pretty much taken. The ducks and geese were seeking cover. So, the only semi-free spot was with the rabbits. I had to cautiously maneuver my son up to the rabbits. I had no idea what he’d do once he got near them. Most of the rabbits were giving their attention to the children with bits of cabbage in their hands. Seeing this, my son grabbed a handful of straw and grass and tried his best to tempt a bunny his way. I explained that the rabbits didn’t want what he had. I brought him some of the cabbage leaves and he was finally successful in enticing a fluffy black bunny. But petting it wasn’t enough. He wanted to hold it and carry it away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the staff move in. I explained that everyone must have a turn with the rabbits and he wasn’t to hold them or take them home. No problem, there were still the ducks to chase and the geese to harass. It took nothing less than the promise of ice cream to get him out of there. After he washed his hands at the area provided, we left and strolled over to the sheep, goats and donkeys. Each kind of animal was kept in a separate petting area. First, we went into the sheep’s pen and got a handful of lanoline. Then we had our chance to run from the ravenous goats. And finally, both kids thrilled at petting the friendly donkeys. When the kids seemed to have their fill and after another round of vigorous hand washing, we departed from the petting zoo smelling like a strange, soapy sheep-donkey. It was at this point that Shion remembered he was promised some ice cream. His constant pushing and pulling allowed us only a cursory look at the various bears, the seals, and the camels. After passing the camels, we had come full circle. Granted, there was a whole section we didn’t even see, but ice cream took precedence. We picked up some soft cream cones and had a little down time. We walked over to the cherry trees, found a nice spot on the grass, and just enjoyed the view. The cherry blossoms at the zoo are splendid. They’re nestled in a lovely little grassy park near the entrance. Between the park and the entrance is a ramp which leads up to the amusement park. This would be our next and final stop. My wife and I would have liked a little more time with the cherry trees. They are so peaceful and happy looking. The kids were getting their exercise playing tag. But as the day dragged on, it was time to catch some rides before returning home.
So, into the amusement park we went. It’s rather small, of course, but there are still a good number of rides. They’re in sufficient number and variety to keep any three year old busy. You must buy separate tickets from your entry ticket to the zoo, in order to ride the larger rides. The fee is very nominal though. Shion surprised me this year. He was brave enough to tackle a rather big ride, the rocket ride. Last year, he was even a little afraid of riding the merry-go-round. I guess one year really makes a difference in a young child’s life. He had so much fun spinning and soaring in the rocket. I wish I had had the camera with me. Then we caught the merry-go-round. He was totally fine, as was Tina. Next on the list were the little electric cars, which he loves. We avoided the spinning swings and the house of mirrors. This time I thought it would be fun to go on the Ferris wheel. We had never ridden the Ferris wheel before. Frankly, I’m a little uncomfortable with heights. Still, it looked new and safe….gulp. Actually, the Ferris wheel isn’t the only attraction in that section. There is also a real, full-sized steam engine, an old city train, and go karts. Cool! Go karts! Who doesn’t love go karts?! So, after the Ferris wheel we boarded the old steam train and played engineer, and then took a look inside the city’s old electric train. Last but not least were the go karts. Hurray! Uh, just a minute…How many tickets is it to ride? Noooo! We had just enough for two passengers. Kaori and Shion jumped in and Tina and I were left holding the camera. When they finished up, a funny thing happened. A group of young ladies (perhaps 18 or 19 years old) came chasing after Shion. They started snapping photos with their cell phones and cameras. They each asked if they could take a picture with him. I was both shocked and incredibly proud. That’s my boy! They kept snapping away proclaiming “kawaii, kawaii” (cute, cute). Good boy! You earned that ice cream. My wife was pleased too, but she’ll never understand the satisfaction of having a son who’s a chick magnet. I mean, it was like he was a rock star or something, seriously. With the photo op over and his fans dispersing to find something else cute to shoot, we decided to get back to the car and make for home. They were both pretty worn out by this time so it was no trouble gathering them up and getting to the car. Tina went to sleep before her head hit the car seat. Shion took another minute or two. I think he had a really great day. We all did. Good bye Hirakawa Zoo. Thanks. See you next year.
