If you want a free day out with children, this guide compares three parks and a zoo: two in Kumamoto City, one in Kikuyo Town and one in Ozu Town. They differ in whether you pay to get in, what children can play on, and how you get there. The Key facts at the end of this page show the hours and prices for each place.
In short
- Suizenji Ezuko Park is free, with no set opening hours.
- The zoo charges admission, but preschool children and, for Kumamoto City residents, some children and older people can enter free.
- Ozu Town does not state Showaen Park’s hours or whether entry is charged.
- None of the four says whether staff speak English, so ask before you go.
Checked with official pages on 27 September 2026.
1. Which one should I choose?
Depends on the place
| Place | Good for | Entry | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumamoto City Zoo | Animals, a plant zone, a hands-on animal area, small amusement rides | Paid; preschool children free | 096-368-4416 |
| Ezuko Park | Lakeside walks, spring-water play areas, an athletic playground | Free; no set hours | 096-360-2620 |
| Suginamiki Park | A wide lawn, fountains, cherry trees; a sports field and hall you can book | No booking needed for Fureai Plaza (no fee listed); the sports field, hall and study rooms are paid and booked | 096-349-2533 |
| Showaen Park | Cherry blossoms and azaleas, a large children’s play area, a lawn | Not stated | 096-293-4011 |
Ezuko Park and the zoo are by Lake Ezu and can both be reached by Kumamoto City Tram or bus from Sakuramachi Bus Terminal; on weekends and holidays the zoo asks visitors to use public transport. The Kikuyo park has its own car park, but its pages do not describe a train or bus route, and no directions are given for Showaen — only the address.
2. The places, one by one
2.1 Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens (熊本市動植物園)
Run by Kumamoto City, this zoo and botanical garden sits by Lake Ezu (江津湖) in Higashi Ward. It has about 110 kinds of animals — including tigers, elephants and giraffes — and about 700 kinds of plants, with a Japanese garden, a large greenhouse and an orchid house. Young children can meet animals at Touch Ai Land (タッチ愛ランド), a hands-on animal area, and there are small-fee amusement-park rides (¥10 to ¥200). The merry-go-round has been closed for earthquake repairs since 4 August 2026.
The zoo is usually closed on Mondays, but the pattern changes around holidays and the fourth Monday, so check the closure calendar (休園日) before you go; some areas can also close for building work, so check the “important notices” (重要なお知らせ) at the top of the home page. Some children and older people who live in Kumamoto City (and in Fukuoka, Kitakyushu or Kagoshima City) can enter free with proof of address — for children, something like a school name tag or student handbook; for people aged 65 or over, ID showing age and address. People with a disability certificate and one carer also enter free. The website does not list which payment methods are accepted, so ask before you go.
Address: 5-14-2 Kengun, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City · Open in Google Maps
Phone: 096-368-4416
Official website (Japanese; “Foreign Language” menu opens Google Translate)
2.2 Suizenji Ezuko Park (水前寺江津湖公園)
This free city park has no set opening hours and surrounds Lake Ezu (江津湖), about 5 km southeast of central Kumamoto City, in five areas along the water: Suizenji, Izumi, Kami-Ezu, Shimo-Ezu and Hirogi. Walking and cycling paths run around the lake, with lawns, spring-water play areas and an athletic playground.
For families with small children, the Hirogi area’s wide lawn is easy to see across, with shallow water spots and decks for watching plants and wildlife. The Kami-Ezu area has a water-play pond, Jabu-jabu Ike; a children’s pool in the Suizenji area opens only in the summer holidays. Dogs on a lead can come into most of the park, but not into buildings or the water at the Hirogi spring-water plaza and Jabu-jabu Ike.
View this post on Instagram
A post (in Japanese, September 2026) from the park’s official Instagram account, showing water plants in bloom in the Hirogi area.
Note
After the July 2026 earthquake, the park reported raised and cracked paths in the Hirogi area; it said the park could still be used but asked visitors to take care. The Ezuko Minamo Festival planned for October 2026 has been cancelled.
Each of the five areas has its own nearest stop on the Kumamoto City Tram line to Kengunmachi. If you drive, the five park parking lots fill up early in spring break, Golden Week and the summer holidays — the Suizenji area has no parking of its own, and cars cannot leave after the gates shut.
Address: 935-1 Hiroki-machi, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City · Open in Google Maps
Phone: 096-360-2620 (Suizenji Ezuko Park Service Center)
Official website (Japanese only)
A Kumamoto City video (in Japanese, 2020) about Lake Ezu, from its series on protecting Kumamoto’s water.
2.3 Kikuyo Suginamiki Park SanSan (菊陽杉並木公園さんさん)
This park in the Haramizu area of Kikuyo Town has a path lined with zelkova trees leading to Fureai Plaza (ふれあい広場), a wide lawn used for events and by families. Further in, the central plaza has two fountains, flower beds and an outdoor stage, and the sports field is ringed by 16 kinds of cherry trees — people come to see the blossoms in spring.
You do not need to book to use Fureai Plaza. Pets are not allowed in the park. The hall, study rooms and sports field must be booked at the Park Management Center or on Kikuyo Town’s facility booking site after registering (ID such as a driving licence, My Number card, passport or student card). Booked times include setting up and clearing away. After a booking-system change on 1 August 2026, people registered on the newer system must register again at the counter. The park is open 9:00–18:00 in September and October and 9:00–17:00 from November to January, and the car park closes at the same time. It closes on Tuesdays and over the New Year holidays. Its website has English, Korean and Chinese menus, but the facility pages are in Japanese, and neither the park nor Kikuyo Town says whether staff speak English.
Address: 5326 Haramizu, Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture · Open in Google Maps
Phone: 096-349-2533 (Park Management Center)
Official website (English menu; facility details in Japanese)
2.4 Showaen Park (昭和園)
Showaen Park, in the Muro area of Ozu Town, is known for spring azaleas — the town flower of Ozu — and autumn leaves, with a wide children’s plaza (児童広場) that has large play equipment such as slides, suitable from small children to elementary school pupils, and a lawn where families can play.
Note
Ozu Town is building a certified childcare center and a child-rearing support hub inside Showaen. The town’s schedule lists parking and bridge repair work from fiscal 2026, building work in fiscal 2027, and opening on 1 April 2028.
Ozu Town’s pages do not give Showaen’s opening hours or say whether entry is charged; ask the town before you go. On the west side there are tennis courts, booked and paid for through the Ozu Town General Gymnasium office. If you come as a group or with a large number of people, send a park use application in advance. The pages do not describe how to get there by train or bus.
Address: 1249 Muro, Ozu Town, Kumamoto Prefecture · Open in Google Maps
Phone: 096-293-4011 (Ozu Town Urban Planning Division)
Higo-Ozu Tourism Association page (Japanese only)
3. Before you go
- Check the hours in the Key facts at the end of this page. The zoo and the Kikuyo park have a weekly closing day and close over the New Year; Ozu Town does not state Showaen’s hours.
- If you go by tram or bus, check the nearest stop on the official access page. At Ezuko Park, each of the five areas has a different nearest stop.
- Driving to Ezuko Park in spring break, Golden Week or the summer holidays? The five parking lots fill early, and the Suizenji area has no parking of its own.
- At the zoo, bring proof of address if you may qualify for free entry. Section 2.1 says what counts as proof.
- To use the Kikuyo sports field, hall or a study room, book after registering. In Ozu, groups send a park use application to the town in advance, and the tennis courts are booked through the Ozu Town General Gymnasium office.
4. Can I get help in English?
The official pages for all four places are in Japanese. The zoo, Kikuyo Town and Ozu Town link to Google machine translation. The Kikuyo park’s own website has an English menu, but its facility details are still in Japanese. None says whether staff speak English, so ask before you go; phone numbers are in section 2.
Sources (checked September 2026)
- Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens official website (address, hours, closure calendar, free-entry conditions, phone number in the footer)
- Suizenji Ezuko Park official website (park map, access and FAQ pages)
- Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens: merry-go-round closed for repairs
- Kikuyo Suginamiki Park SanSan: park guide, Fureai Plaza and the Park Management Center, seasonal hours and its English page
- Kikuyo Town: Suginamiki Park facility booking
- Higo-Ozu Tourism Association: Showaen Park
- Ozu Town: Showaen Park, its children’s plaza and the planned childcare center
- Ozu Town: general facility booking information
