Visiting a zoo for the first time ever in Japan-Bhutanese family in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture

I visited Nishiyama Park and Nishiyama Zoo in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture with Mr. Ugyen Dorji’s family.

Mr. Ugyen Dorji has been studying at University of Fukui as a teacher trainee from Bhutan since around October of 2017. And at the end of March of 2018, his family arrived in Japan as well.

It was such a beautiful day, so it was a perfect day for going for a drive, and going to the park and the zoo.

It takes about half an hour from Fukui City to Nishiyama Park and Nishiyama Zoo by car.

It was the first time for Mr. Ugyen Dorji’s family to visit the zoo.

They were very excited to see all the cute animals!

Not only his son was excited, his wife was very curious to see all the animals of the zoo as　well.

As a symbol of the friendly relation between Japan and China, three lesser pandas were given to Nishiyama Zoo by the Beijing Zoo in 1984. Since then, the lesser pandas have been well taken care of and they have been loved by many visitors.

Nishiyama Park is famous for azalea flowers. About 50,000 of azalea flowers are in full bloom every year around the beginning of May. It looks like a large colorful carpet when they are in full bloom. Although it was in the end of April when we visited the park and it was little too early, we were happy to see beautiful azalea flowers in the park.

Mr. Ugyen Dorji’s sister loves flowers and she has azaleas flowers in Bhutan. She said that the azaleas flowers at Nishiyama Park are very beautiful.

She mentioned that the azalea flowers in Bhutan bloom about 4 times a year!

In Nishiyama Park, there is a large lawn and a water fountain as well, so visitors can surely feel refreshed and have a good time.