[Complete Guide to Enjoying Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo] A Special Experience That Brings You Close to the Energy of Life

First, head to the Seal House right by the Main Gate.
Inside, you’ll see spotted seals swimming freely through a large glass tank and a cylindrical tunnel.

This exhibit makes use of seals’ habit of swimming vertically, giving you a strange feeling like you’re swimming right beside them.

In the large tank, you can observe seals swimming comfortably and playing with toys.
Watching their round, chubby bodies gently float along is sure to be soothing.

At the Polar Bear House near the Seal House, you can observe polar bears as they stroll around with their huge bodies, from both land and underwater viewpoints.

During Mogumogu Time, food is dropped into the water, and you can apparently watch the polar bears dive in powerfully from up close.

Inside, there are viewing areas on the first and second floors, so you can enjoy the polar bears’ movements from various angles.
While watching quietly from the second floor, a polar bear suddenly stood up and let out a loud “Gooo!” roar toward us.
It’s a breathtaking moment you won’t forget.

Next, head to the Red Panda House next to the Polar Bear House.
Here you can observe the Sichuan red panda, loved for its fluffy body and adorable expression.

When you look up at a red panda walking across the suspension bridge, you’ll notice its belly and the fur on its legs are black.
Apparently, this helps red pandas, who spend a lot of time in trees, camouflage among branches.

During Mogumogu Time, you can see them munching on their favorite snack, apples.

Keepers explain that red pandas have a protruding bone in their forepaws called a “sixth finger,” which lets them hold bamboo or apples like they’re gripping them with a hand.

At Wolf Forest, you can observe the timber wolf, native to North America.
Hokkaido once had the Ezo wolf, but it went extinct due to extermination by humans.
To share that history, across from Wolf Forest is Ezo Deer Forest, where Ezo deer—now considered harmful wildlife—are kept, recreating a past ecosystem through the exhibits.

During the day, timber wolves often sleep in the shade, but as closing time approaches, they start pacing restlessly.
And when the park-wide announcement for closing plays, they apparently let out a brave howl.
If you want to experience a wolf’s howl up close, right before closing is the best time.

Opened in 2022, the Ezo Brown Bear House lets you observe Ezo brown bears—among Japan’s largest wild animals—as they lumber along with their massive bodies.

In the outdoor enclosure, part of the railing is designed like a guardrail, creating an experience that makes the relationship between humans and Ezo brown bears in Hokkaido feel very real.

Deep inside the building, there’s also a huge canvas called the “Shiretoko Brown Bear Picture Scroll,” depicting bears living on the Shiretoko Peninsula, their conflicts with human society, and efforts toward coexistence.
In today’s world, where the image of “brown bears are harmful” has become widespread, this exhibit makes you want to think about a future where we live alongside them.

Here, spider monkeys that move using their hands, feet, and tails, and capybaras, the world’s largest rodent, live together in the same space. (Summer only)

While spider monkeys move around actively, capybaras relax at their own pace. The appeal of this exhibit is enjoying their opposite lifestyles at the same time.
Both spider monkeys and capybaras live in Central and South America.
Because they’re weak in the cold, they’re separated into different indoor areas in winter, so you won’t see them living together, but winter is special because you can observe them from very close up through the glass.

A big hit with young kids, the Children’s Farm lets you interact with rabbits and guinea pigs, and observe goats and sheep up close.

The charm of this area is that by touching animals directly, you can feel their body warmth, heartbeat, and breathing.

An experience of interacting with small lives and realizing the value of life will become an irreplaceable memory for children.

Penguins are sensitive to light, so flash photography may startle them, cause panic, or hurt their eyes.

Even smartphone cameras may trigger a flash automatically, so be sure to turn it off in advance.
To protect an environment where penguins can walk calmly, please cooperate.

Inside the pink line is the penguins’ walking course.
To keep the penguins safe, don’t stand on the line, and don’t let your camera or body extend into the course.

Also, even if a penguin comes close, never touch it.
To help the penguins enjoy their walk without stress, it’s important to follow the rules and watch quietly.

You might get so caught up in how cute the penguins are that you forget what’s going on around you.
However, to make sure everyone can enjoy watching, always follow staff instructions.

The Penguin Walk can be held because staff and visitors cooperate and follow good manners.
To protect the penguins’ safety and comfortable environment, please enjoy observing them while following the rules.

Inspired by Hokkaido’s winter scenery and snow light, the interior feels warm and relaxing.
You order at the counter first and pay before you sit.

Just looking at the menu is exciting, but one item you’ll especially want to try is “Okami-kun Yaki.”
It was made in a wolf shape to encourage people to think about the Ezo wolf, which was driven to extinction by humans.
It’s crisp and fragrant on the outside, with gently sweet red bean paste or cream inside.

There are also plenty of Hokkaido-style items, like minced cutlets made with Ezo deer meat and hand-cut fries in collaboration with Asombrosso in Bibai.
The rich, milky soft-serve ice cream from Looprise Farm in Nakashibetsu is popular year-round.

After seeing the animals’ cuteness and strength, and feeling the value of life at Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo, you’ve likely made many memorable moments.
“Museum Shop ASAHIYAMA” is where you can turn those irreplaceable memories into something you can take with you.

Inside, you’ll find limited-edition packaged sweets you can only buy here, plus rows of fluffy stuffed animals that you can’t help but want to touch.
They’re all so tempting, it’s impossible to choose!

We also recommend buying an Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo original postcard and dropping it into the local postbox inside the zoo.
If you use this postbox, your mail gets a special Asahikawa Asahiyama Zoo original postmark whose design changes each year, perfect as a travel keepsake.
It’s also a lovely idea to write down what moved you on a postcard and mail it to yourself.

A lush park spreading out at the foot of Mt. Asahiyama in eastern Asahikawa, Hokkaido.
Located at an elevation of Approx. 295 m, it offers panoramic views of Asahikawa city and the surrounding mountains from within the park.
It’s also known for its well-preserved natural woodland.

“Asahikawa City Museum” showcases materials related to the history, culture, and nature of northern Hokkaido.
It’s especially known for its extensive collection on the history and culture of the Ainu people, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido.
The space from the basement to the first floor is an open atrium, featuring trees displayed as symbols of Asahikawa’s forests, helping you imagine the grand scale of Asahikawa’s natural environment.

Founded in 1996, “Asahikawa Ramen Village” is a complex where seven local shops gather to share the appeal and culture of Asahikawa ramen with more people.
The exterior walls were painted by students of Hokkaido Tokai University’s Asahikawa campus, showing animals from Asahiyama Zoo enjoying ramen.

A long-running ramen shop in Asahikawa with over 70 years of tradition, starting from a food stall in 1947.
It helped establish the image of “Asahikawa ramen = shoyu,” and is considered a key origin of Asahikawa ramen, alongside Sapporo’s miso ramen and Hakodate’s shio ramen.
Its signature menu item is “Shoyu Ramen,” made using the original method created by the first owner and preserved since the shop’s founding.

Asahikawa’s oldest coffee shop, founded in 1939.
It closed once under the second generation, but because so many people missed it, the manager at the time took over the name and building, leading to its reopening in 2011.
With brick walls and high-backed seats, the interior creates a spacious, charming atmosphere that naturally feels nostalgic.

Approx. 20 minutes by car from central Asahikawa, “Tanbo no Naka no Cafe Hinode Shoten” is literally located in the middle of rice fields and is known for serving delicious food with a peaceful rural view.
It’s an easy drive, making it popular as a sightseeing break spot or lunch destination.
A top recommendation is the cheese hamburger steak with demi-glace sauce plate, said to be especially popular among their cute, well-arranged one-plate lunches.

Operated by Hoshino Resorts, “OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts” was created with the hope that guests will fully enjoy both Hokkaido’s character and the old and new culture passed down in Asahikawa.
This hotel is recommended for those who want to create travel memories with Asahikawa—an area popular with tourists and with easy access to Furano and Biei—as their base.

“Hotel Route-Inn Grand Asahikawa Ekimae” opened in 2016 in a prime location, a 2-minute walk from Asahikawa Station.
As the first “Hotel Route-Inn Grand” brand property to open in Hokkaido, it offers higher-grade facilities and services than the group’s standard hotels, including larger guest rooms and a well-equipped restaurant, for a more comfortable stay.

“Dormy Inn Asahikawa (Natural Hot Spring Kamui no Yu)” is located 2 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station.
Guest rooms with fluorescent ceiling lights are designed so you can comfortably do various activities like working on your computer or reading, and the neatly arranged interior in calm tones feels pleasant.