Tama Zoological Park in Hino, Tokyo, will hold the 12th Tokyo Metropolitan Zoos Africa Fair on Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23, 2026 (a public holiday). The fair introduces the nature, culture and tourism of African countries, along with the current state of wildlife and conservation efforts, as a way to deepen friendship with African nations. Visitors are invited to come to the zoo and experience Africa up close.
Event Overview
- Dates: Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23, 2026 (public holiday)
- Venue: Tama Zoological Park
African embassies and related organizations are taking part in and supporting the fair. Additional event information and venue maps will be posted on the zoo's official website.
Tama Zoological Park official website
Opening Ceremony
Representatives of the participating African countries and guests will take part in the opening ceremony, which also includes a talk by a guest. The fair kicks off with a lively African music performance timed to the 12:50 PM start.
- Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 12:50 PM to 2:00 PM
- Venue: Watching Center (ウォッチングセンター) entrance (inside the Animal Hall, 動物ホール, in case of rain)
- Guest: Ousmane Sankhon (オスマン・サンコン)
The ceremony is held outdoors, and the number of benches for spectators, including some priority seats, is limited. Please share the seating with others.
African Discovery Country Booths
Embassies and organizations involved in African-related activities set up booths to introduce each country's wildlife and tourism information and to sell local specialties. Booths from Tama Toshi Monorail (多摩都市モノレール) and Tokyo Metropolitan Government-related booths are also planned.
- Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM (booths open one by one as soon as they are ready); Monday, November 23, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
- Venue: The walkway leading from the plaza in front of the main gate
African Music Performance "Enjoy the Dynamic African Rhythms!"
BALANGOMA, formed when Masaya Onishi (大西まさや), who trained in music in Kenya, met Burkinabe traditional musician Benoit Milogo (ベノワ・ミロゴ), takes the stage. Instruments from East and West Africa intertwine to sound out the heartbeat of the earth, with energetic rhythms and pleasant melodies.
- Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 2:15 PM to 3:00 PM
- Venue: Watching Center entrance (inside the Animal Hall in case of rain)
- Performer: BALANGOMA
African Music and Dance Performance "Let's Dance to the African Beat!"
Waka Waka Africa, a band whose members have gathered from across Africa, presents an exciting show of African music and dance. It is a participatory stage that people from small children to adults can join with clapping and dancing.
- Date and time: Monday, November 23, 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM and 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM
- Venue: Watching Center entrance (inside the Animal Hall in case of rain)
- Performer: Waka Waka Africa
African Stamp Rally Around the Zoo
The "African Stamp Rally" is held entirely within the zoo and takes visitors through the Africa area (アフリカ園), which displays many animals native to Africa, and the fair venues. Visitors collect stamps as they go around the rally points. Those who collect all the stamps receive a commemorative gift, limited to the first 800 people each day.
- Dates: Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23
- Where to get stamp sheets: Special booth near the Watching Center
- Commemorative gift: Original shoulder bag, with illustrations by line artist Yuko Monden (もんでんゆうこ), who lives in Hino
Glass Art by Yuko Monden
Hino-based line artist Yuko Monden draws glass art on the glass doors at the Watching Center entrance. The art is painted little by little, mainly on the zoo's closed days, and will be completed by the day of the fair.
Zookeepers' Talk Relay: Discover the Charm of African Animals
From before the Africa Fair through the days of the event, zookeepers at the Tokyo metropolitan zoos (Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tama Zoological Park, Inokashira Park Zoo, Tokyo Sea Life Park (葛西臨海水族園) and Oshima Park Zoo) will talk about African animals. Please check the Tama Zoological Park official website for details.
Panel Exhibition "A Journey Through East Africa's World Heritage Sites: The Breath of the Land and Living Culture"
East Africa is home to magnificent natural World Heritage sites and cultural World Heritage sites that convey a long history. There, the lives of people who have coexisted with nature and a diversity of cultures are still alive. This exhibition introduces the wildlife and highlights of these sites, centered on natural and cultural World Heritage sites, so that visitors can enjoy them as if traveling there.
- Period: Thursday, November 5 to Tuesday, December 1
- Hours: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
- Venue: Inside the Watching Center
Accessory Making to Learn About Color Culture
This workshop uses colorful African beads. Participants learn about the cultural meanings behind the patterns and colors of the beads while making their own original accessory. Details such as the hours will be announced later.
- Dates: Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23, 2026
- Duration: About 30 minutes
- Venue: Inside the Watching Center
- Fee: Free
Face Painting
The Docent Group (DG) of the Tokyo Zoo Volunteers (TZV) offers face painting. Visitors can have a serval painted on their face and wear ear headbands to transform into a serval.
- Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 2026, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
- Venue: Hayashi Plaza (はやし広場) (canceled in case of rain)
- Makeup removal corners: Hayashi Plaza, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM; Watching Center entrance, until closing time (4:30 PM)
- Capacity: Limited to 150 people, first come, first served
Supporters
- Under the auspices of: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
- In cooperation with: Keio Corporation, Tama Toshi Monorail Co., Ltd. (多摩都市モノレール株式会社)
About Tama Zoological Park
Address: 7-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo 191-0042
Tama Zoological Park is a zoo with grounds about four times the size of Ueno Zoo and open-air exhibits that make the most of its abundant nature. So that animals can show their natural behavior as much as possible, the zoo uses free-ranging exhibits in enclosures separated by moats instead of cages. Making use of the large enclosures, animals that form herds in the wild are kept in groups wherever possible, creating dynamic displays.
