Kujukushima Zoo & Botanical Gardens Mori Kirara

Sasebo, Japan, Japan

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Kujukushima Zoo & Botanical Gardens Mori Kirara is a combined zoo and botanical garden in western Sasebo, Nagasaki, opened in 1961 on the Ishidake mountain hillside overlooking the scenic Kujukushima islands.

The zoo area houses about 65 species of animals including popular giraffes, lions, capybaras, and penguins, while the botanical section features around 1,200 plant species, an ornamental greenhouse, gardens, and a famous rose garden that is especially beautiful in blooming season.

Its signature attraction is the Penguin Hall with Japan’s largest ceiling aquarium tank—a 4‑meter‑deep tank where penguins swim overhead as if flying, plus Japan’s first ultra‑shallow tank for close-up views of their feet.