Photo= The pamphlet introducing the zoo's history and animals

Kyoto City Zoo, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, has published its first English pamphlet for foreign tourists visiting Japan. It not only introduces the zoo's animals along with their photos, but also explains the history of the zoo.

Reportedly, the number of foreign visitors has been increasing recently, making up roughly 15 percent of the total number of zoo visitors. The pamphlet provides information about the nine-storied octagonal pagoda of Hossho-ji Temple, which once existed at the zoo site. It also explains that the zoo is the second zoo ever established in Japan. It introduces endemic species to Japan inhabiting Kyoto Prefecture's forests, as well as animals the zoo is assisting through its breeding program.

Twenty thousand copies have been printed for free distribution at the zoo. Chinese and Korean versions will also be published in the future, and the pamphlets will be placed at hotels and other sites in Kyoto City.