Asahiyama Zoo

旭山動物園

Japan's most popular zoo, famous for its “active exhibits.” Winter penguin walks and polar bears diving beneath a transparent tunnel are its signature attractions.

Asahiyama Zoo lies on the eastern outskirts of Asahikawa City and is Japan's northernmost zoo. In the 2000s it became famous for pioneering “active exhibits,” exhibit designs that show animals engaging in their natural behaviors. At one point, its annual visitor numbers exceeded those of Ueno Zoo. Signature exhibits include: the penguin house, where you can watch king penguins “fly” overhead through an underwater tunnel; the polar bear house, with its “Seal's Eye” chamber that lets visitors face polar bears up close; the seal house, where seals swim vertically through a cylindrical tank; and the orangutan house, the wolf forest and the newer big cats house, which are also popular.

The “penguin walk” at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from late December to mid-March is the liveliest event in the zoo, when a group of king penguins waddles 500 meters across the snow. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a spot. Adult admission is 1,000 yen, and children under junior high school age enter free. In mid-August, the zoo holds Night Zoo events, with extended hours until 9 p.m.

Getting there: take Asahikawa Denki Kido bus routes 41 or 47 from in front of JR Asahikawa Station, a trip of about 40 minutes. From Sapporo, you can buy the JR Asahiyama Zoo set ticket, which includes round-trip limited express train fare and admission.

Note that the zoo is built on a hillside, so paths can be icy and slippery in winter. Pushing a stroller is difficult. The zoo closes for seasonal changes in mid-November and early April.

Asahiyama Zoo

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby