Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens and Ezu Lake
When a couple's children grow up, it's natural that they stop going to the zoo.
After we had grandchildren, they begged us to go, so we went to the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens on Children's Day (May 5th) for the first time in a long time.
The Gardens opens at 9:00 a.m., but there is already a long line by 8:30 a.m.
Once inside the Gardems, there was a long line in front of the attractions in the amusement park zone.
Attractions seem to be much more appealing to children than animals or plants.
In fact, we had visited the Gardens three days earlier with our four-year-old grandson.
I thought there would be few people there because it was a weekday, but I was wrong.
There were a surprising number of elementary school children there. I think they were on a welcoming school trip.
The Gardens is large, safe, and a suitable place for an elementary school trip.
The plant zone around the clock tower is a great place for a stroll.
When the weather is nice, it's a good place to eat your lunch. Elementary school students on school trips spread out their sheets and ate their lunch here. On Children's Day, parents and children were also eating their lunch here, making it a lively place.
We also ate the packed lunches we brought here.
This is an observation deck near the south gate of the Gardens.
The view of Ezu Lake from the observation deck is quite beautiful.
On this day, students were practicing rowing. It must have been hard work for the students.
However, watching them, we felt calmed by the sight of the boats quietly moving across the lake.
I took a video of the boat training session.
The most popular area in the Gardens was the Amusement Park Zone, but for people of our generation, it seems like the best place to stroll is the Plant Zone.
At the flower rest area in the plant zone, you can observe many plants and there is also a waterfall.
The next photo shows the banyan tree in the center of the rest area.
The next photo shows the banyan tree in the center of the rest area.
I learned for the first time at the time that admission is free for Kumamoto city residents aged 65 or older.
A stroll around Ezu Lake, entering the zoo and botanical gardens through the south gate, and touring the plant zone within the gardens may be a recommended course for couples over 65 years old.
In fact, on a weekday, May 2nd, we saw several couples of the same age as us in the zoo. I felt that the zoo was a good place for a walk.
In fact, on a weekday, May 2nd, we saw several couples of the same age as us in the zoo. I felt that the zoo was a good place for a walk.
