I thought Matsue Vogel Park in Shimane would be somewhere you look at birds.
Not quite. Some birds walk right beside you. Others hop onto your hand. And yes, a toucan with an enormous beak can perch on your arm.
My family loves birds—we live with a black-headed caique at home. On our visit to Matsue Vogel Park, we wandered among birds and flowers, ate lunch, watched the shows, and somehow spent around five hours there.
Here’s our visit in the order we experienced it, including the moments that surprised us most.
First surprise: the flowers before the birds
Right after entering, I expected to see birds. Instead, we found ourselves in a spectacular greenhouse filled with hanging flowers.
So many colors overhead. I had mentally prepared for a bird park, not this. It was a lovely beginning, and there were plenty of birds still to come.
The birds are unexpectedly close
As we walked through the grounds, we saw owls, peacocks and other birds. With some of them, it felt less like visiting a zoo and more like walking into the birds’ own neighborhood.
One peacock spread its tail feathers. Naturally, I wanted to see the front—but then I walked around to look from behind. That was a view I’d never really considered before.
Feeding time: a toucan on my arm
The Paradise Hall feeding experience was one of my favorite parts. The park currently offers bird food for ¥100 per cup in this area, subject to the birds’ condition and the day’s arrangements.
Toucans look huge, especially with those beaks. Yet the bird that perched on my arm felt surprisingly light. It used that big beak to pick up a tiny piece of food with impressive precision.
There were also turacos. One perched on my hand, and it struck me that although the bird was larger than our caique at home, our own bird somehow felt heavier in comparison.
Maybe our little bird at home is just exceptionally solid. That’s the comparison my brain decided to make, anyway.
The feeding program can pause or change depending on the birds. Check the official activity and show schedule when you arrive.
We didn’t plan to see the penguin parade
We were walking through the park when penguins suddenly came toward us. A penguin walk was underway.
We hadn’t waited for the scheduled time. We simply happened to be there—and behind the penguins came a little procession of children. Penguins at the front, excited kids behind. An adorable parade.
The park schedules penguin walks, so you don’t need to rely on luck like we did. Check the times on the official event page, as they can change.
The shoebill that refused to stay still
I had always imagined shoebills as birds that stand perfectly motionless. Not this one.
The shoebill walked out of its indoor area. I watched, impressed by how much it was moving. Then, almost immediately, it went right back inside.
It looked to me as though it had stepped outside, felt the cold and changed its mind. Of course, I have no idea what the bird was thinking. But the timing was wonderfully funny.
Don’t miss the bird show—but I’m keeping the surprises
If you can fit one of the bird shows into your visit, I recommend it. It would be easy to describe every moment here, but I think it’s more fun to experience some things for yourself.
I’ll give you just one clue from the show we saw: the ducks were ridiculously cute.
Show content, time and location can change. Check today’s official event schedule before planning your day.
Lunch inside the park—and why we stayed five hours
We had lunch in the park. Nothing elaborate: just a warm bowl of udon.
After walking, watching and feeding birds, that simple bowl tasted really good.
We spent roughly five hours in total, including lunch, feeding, a bird show and plenty of time stopping to look at individual birds. We might be slower than most visitors because we keep a parrot ourselves.
You can make a shorter visit, but if you want to see shows and feed birds, plan around the events and allow more time than you first expect.
Matsue Vogel Park admission, hours and transport
| Visitor information (verified November 2026) | Details |
|---|---|
| Adult admission (high school age and above) | ¥1,750 |
| Elementary and junior-high student | ¥880 |
| Preschool children | Free |
| Regular hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; last admission 4:00 p.m. |
| Regular winter closures | Second and fourth Friday of December–March |
| Address | 52 Ogaki-cho, Matsue, Shimane |
| Access | Directly connected to Matsue Vogel Park Station on Ichibata Railway |
The park is convenient even without a rental car. Ichibata Railway stops directly at the entrance. If you’re staying in Matsue, consider the train rather than assuming you need to drive.
Official information: Matsue Vogel Park English visitor guide and latest Japanese hours and prices. Admissions and program details can change.
Was Matsue Vogel Park worth it?
I went expecting to look at some interesting birds. Instead, they came to us.
A toucan landed on an arm. A turaco sat on a hand. Penguins passed by with a little crowd following. And the supposedly still shoebill decided to take a walk.
Add the flowers and bird show, and five hours disappeared remarkably quickly. For bird lovers, it’s much closer to spending time with birds than simply observing them.
This is our firsthand account, not a sponsored park review. Read the original Japanese article. For more places we’ve visited in western Japan, explore English Travel.
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