Go to Kakegawa Kachoen! A fun time with cute creatures

1: To Kakegawa Kachoen

Hello!
Today, let's go out to Kakegawa Kachoen!
Kakegawa Kachoen is a theme park where you can enjoy "interaction with flowers and birds."
The park, which is a large, all-weather glass house, has temperature and ventilation control, making it a comfortable space that can be enjoyed all year round, whether it's a hot season, a rainy season, or a cold season. It is a recommended outing spot.

It's a Sunday with a bit of harsh sunlight.
That's it! Let's go to Kakegawa Kachoen! I left the house early in the morning, feeling excited.
The park, with bouquets of flowers hanging from the ceiling and exotic birds with colorful feathers flying about, is a very photogenic space.
About 1,000 rare birds of about 100 species and flowers in full bloom all year round will welcome you.
In the corner right after entering the reception, owls from around the world will welcome you.
From palm-sized ones like sparrows to eagle-sized ones, the difference in size from the smallest to the largest owl is amazing, isn't it?

Here is the bird famous for not moving,
"Futaba" the Shoebill.
"Futaba" is a popular character who also became a hot topic on YouTube.

Originally, a shoebill is supposed to be a "bird that doesn't move," but...
It does move.
This is "Futaba"-san.

It moves and flies like this.
Yes.
It flies. Spreading its huge wings...
A large shoebill flies within the same house.
It's impressive.
"Futaba"-san seemed to like the top of the hut's roof.
When it is standing near the human walkway, you might be able to take a commemorative photo with it.

2: The charm of Kakegawa Kachoen

The charm of Kakegawa Kachoen is, above all, that the birds are up close.
Here, you can enjoy interacting with birds in a park where various flowers are in full bloom.
The park has a Mandarin Duck Pond, a Penguin Pool, a large glass greenhouse, a forest birdhouse, an Emu ranch, etc., but most of the birds are not in cages, and you can interact with them directly.

Also, the walkways in the park are barrier-free with no steps, making it a people-friendly design that is safe for wheelchairs and strollers. You can also use the nursing room without a reservation.
Another charm is that you can observe rare birds up close.
Not only the popular shoebill "Futaba," but there are black swans in the "Swan Pond" in front of the outdoor bird show area (there are also white swans).
I don't think many people have seen a black swan up close, have they?
I was surprised because it chirped with a cute voice that I couldn't imagine from its pitch-black appearance.

There are explanation boards like this in the park, so you can clearly understand the characteristics of the birds relaxing within reach.

I was also able to feed the birds in the Turaco area.
When the bird being explained comes close, please take a good look at its characteristics.

3: Kakegawa Kachoen Guide

Kakegawa City, where Kakegawa Kachoen is located, is about 30 minutes east of Hamamatsu City by train. It is the place where Kakegawa Castle, known as the famous castle of the Tokai region, is located.

Access to Kakegawa Kachoen
・When using the Shinkansen:
　(Route)800m walk from JR Kakegawa Station South Exit
(About 10 minutes by bus / about 3 minutes by taxi)

・When using the Tomei Expressway: Kakegawa IC
　(Route)About 5 minutes from Tomei Kakegawa IC
・When using the Shin-Tomei Expressway: Mori Kakegawa IC
　(Route) About 25 minutes from Shin-Tomei Mori Kakegawa IC

Fees
Admission fee:
Adults 1,500 yen
Elementary school students 700 yen
Infants Free

Events for interacting with birds are held in the park.
・Bird Show (Free)
・Bird food
・Let's try carrying an owl
・Commemorative photo with penguins (limited number of people)

And so on.

There are time schedules for each.
We recommend checking the times on the website before you go so you can visit efficiently.

Now, let's go straight to the outdoor bird show.
I couldn't contain my excitement, so I went a little early to get a front-row seat.
The sun was intense that day!
As soon as the show started, a Turkey Vulture flew right over the audience's heads.

Next up, the Secretarybird named "Kick" appeared while running!
She's so tall!

When you sit in the front row, they sometimes come right up in front of you...
It's, it's so close!

Like this, she kicks a snake (made of rubber)! Seeing a sight like this is something you can only do at Kakegawa Kachoen.

This is a bird of prey called a "Caracara."
It is a bird that runs very fast. Since it has a habit of catching things on the ground, it dashes while holding a medal in its beak like this!
It can play "fetch" just like a dog.

Next is the Lanner Falcon.
It can fly at incredible speeds.
It catches food thrown from the ground in mid-air!

Meanwhile, this is the indoor bird show.
A Barn Owl skillfully flies through a hoop held by a guest. You can observe up close how it slightly tucks in its wings to avoid getting caught while passing through the hoop.
Unlike other birds when they fly, owls have soft feathers, so they make no sound.

4: Interaction experience with cute birds

At Kakegawa Kachoen, you can interact directly with almost all the birds. Some popular interaction experiences include having an owl perch on your arm, holding a penguin, or taking photos together.
(However, penguins are so popular that the number of people is limited. Please be careful!).
Also, in the "Parakeet Water Lily Pool," you can see Sun Conures flying around in flocks. It is very beautiful when a flock of bright orange birds flies all at once.
However, one thing to be a little careful about is that these birds are quite mischievous and playful.
During the feeding experience, you can see the birds eating from your hand up close. When I have food, these parakeets not only jump onto my hands and shoulders, but they actually love shiny things. My glasses chain was pulled.
The park's warning sign says, "If you are wearing earrings or piercings, please be careful so they don't get broken."

This is the Kea that appeared in the indoor bird show. You can observe the adorable gestures of the birds like this.

After the indoor bird show, you can take photos with a bird perched on you.
This is also popular and forms a line, so if there is a bird you have your eye on, please line up early!

5: Photography techniques at Kakegawa Kachoen

You can enjoy many flowers all year round at Kakegawa Kachoen.
Impatiens, petunias, and fuchsias hanging from the ceiling. And a pond with a rich variety of colorful water lilies.
Even when taking commemorative photos, the environment is set up so that everywhere you look is "Instagrammable."

Here, I will introduce some techniques that even camera beginners can easily use.
1. First, choose your background well.
If you focus on the foreground, the background will blur, conveying the atmosphere of the flowers in full bloom.

And the key to taking photos you can be proud of is
2. Be conscious of the "light."
First, suppress the urge to press the shutter and try walking around the flowers or subject you want to photograph.
Like this, there are many places where the background light creates "bokeh circles."

Furthermore, another charm of Kakegawa Kachoen is that the birds are very friendly.
They are not afraid of humans, so you can get quite close to them.
Try crouching down to match the birds' eye level to get closer.
Since they are not behind cages or glass, you can clearly photograph their cute appearances.

6: Enjoying Instagrammable Gourmet

Now, while feeding the birds and looking around, I started to get a little hungry.
For breaks within the park, there are "Restaurant Flora" and "Food Cafe Hana Hana".

The recommendation here is the cute, "Instagrammable" food menu inspired by the birds.
Blinded by their cuteness, I ended up ordering them just for the "photo op".

Wrapped in the pink paper in the foreground is,

the "Toucan Crepe" (a chocolate banana crepe. The pattern part is chocolate).

Pictured in the back is the "Owl Roll Cake" (available in three types: strawberry, plain, and matcha. The photo shows plain and strawberry).

The drink in the Shoebill "Futaba" cup is the
"Mikkabi Mandarin Orange Drink" (as expected of Shizuoka! )..

Even though I had eaten so many sweets, there were still other cute things that caught my eye, so after wandering around the park, I stopped by again to order more.
Snack time once more!

"Cockatiel Shaved Ice"

"Snowy Owl Pure White Ice Cream"
(vanilla ice cream and salted caramel cake inspired by the snowy owl. The feather topping was banana chocolate).

Before I knew it, I only had photos left of cute, Instagrammable things. I don't have other photos, but don't worry!
The restaurant also has regular menu items, such as ramen, curry, and Fujinomiya yakisoba to fill you up. There are still other cute menu items too, like the "Futaba" fish burger and the kids' curry with a duck pattern. Meal times are fun too, aren't they?

7: Summary

As described above, there are many bird shows and feeding experiences in the park, so you need 2 to 3 hours to go around Kakegawa Kachoen. Furthermore, if you take your time enjoying the cute food menu at the restaurant or spend time choosing souvenirs, you can spend the whole day there.
The expressive birds are used to humans and are very friendly. The charm of Kakegawa Kachoen is that you can interact directly with most of the birds, not through cages or glass.

Finally, don't forget to check for souvenirs before leaving the park.
The souvenir plaza "Hummingbird" is full of souvenirs and bird goods!!
Kakegawa Kachoen has many original souvenir goods. It's not just goods of the popular Shoebill "Futaba".
To give a few examples, there are extra-large Toco Toucan plushies, Secretary Bird goods, original crunch chocolates perfect for distributing, and "Ramen for Bird Lovers (bagged ramen)"(→ Personally, this is my favorite!).Everything is something you won't see anywhere else.
Just looking around at the souvenirs is fun.

By the way, there are actually other "Kachoen" (Flower and Bird Parks) besides this one in Kakegawa.
・Kamoso Kachoen
・Fuji Kachoen
Together with Kakegawa Kachoen, these are the "Three Great Kachoen".
The types of birds in each park are slightly different.
Both flower and bird parks are full of flowers.
It is a place where you can enjoy yourself without worrying about the weather, whether by taking commemorative photos against a background of flowers in full bloom or interacting with the birds. Why not take some "Instagrammable" photos and show them off to your friends?

This summer, why not go to a "Flower and Bird Park" where you can spend time comfortably avoiding the intense heat?
Here

Facility Name
Kakegawa Kachoen
(Kakegawa Kachoen)
Postal Code
436-0024
Address
1517 Minamisaigo, Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Business Hours
9：00 to 16：30（Last admission 16：00）
Regular Holidays/Closed Days
Closed on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month *Excluding busy months

Fuji Kachoen Report
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