Ube: Tokiwa Zoo, Botanical Museum & Lakeside Stroll

A greedy-but-delightful family course that lets you enjoy the zoo, botanical museum, and amusement park all in one day at Tokiwa Park (常盤公園), which circles around Tokiwa Lake (常盤湖), the symbol of Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Tokiwa Zoo (常盤動物園) is renowned for its habitat-based exhibits that recreate animals' natural environments—children are captivated by White-handed Gibbons gracefully crossing overhead and by laid-back Capybaras. The Botanical Museum offers a journey through world flora in one continuous greenhouse. Lunch and rides at the lakeside amusement park, a panoramic view from the Coal Memorial Hall's observation deck—a building that tells Ube's story as a coal-mining town—each stop offers changing scenery as you walk. The perfect finale: Kotosaki Hachiman Shrine (琴崎八幡宮) with its legendary variety of amulets, said to be Japan's finest. The flat park is stroller-friendly, making this a stress-free day even with small children.