Asahiyama Zoo sits on the outskirts of Asahikawa in central Hokkaido, Japan, holding the distinction of being the northernmost zoo in the country. Opened in July 1967 after roughly a year of construction, the zoo started modestly with around 75 species of animals, including 200 common carp, but has since grown into one of Japan’s most-visited animal parks through a philosophy built around ‘behavioral exhibits’ that let visitors watch animals move, hunt, and play much as they would in the wild.
The zoo’s rise to national prominence came in the mid-2000s, when innovative enclosures like the glass-tunnel penguin pool and the underwater dome for polar bears turned it into a must-see destination, briefly outdrawing even Tokyo’s famed Ueno Zoo. Today it remains best known for its winter Penguin Walk, in which keepers lead a line of penguins waddling through the snow past onlookers, a tradition the zoo helped pioneer.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
- Opened: July 1967
- Size: About 15 hectares (37 acres)
- Species: About 120 species
- Annual visitors: About 1.4 million (peaked near 3 million in 2007)
- Famous for: Winter Penguin Walk and glass-tunnel behavioral exhibits
The Zoo Experience
Asahiyama Zoo’s signature feature is its penguin house, where a glass tunnel runs through the pool so visitors can watch the birds ‘fly’ underwater overhead. The polar bear enclosure uses a similar trick, with an underwater viewing dome that lets guests watch the bears dive and swim at close range. Other draws include a seal house built around a vertical swimming tube and an orangutan enclosure with an elevated trapeze system that lets the animals move high above the walkways.
In winter, the zoo runs its famous Penguin Walk, sending king and other penguins on a supervised stroll through the snow-covered grounds twice a day, a spectacle that has become one of Hokkaido’s best-known tourist attractions and drew heavy domestic media attention when it was popularized in the early 2000s.
History and Recovery
The zoo was inaugurated in 1967 at a construction cost of about 250 million yen, but attendance had fallen into decline by the 1990s, worsened by a temporary closure in 1994 after an echinococcus parasite infection was detected in some animals. Under chief manager Masao Kosuge, the zoo overhauled its exhibits starting in the late 1990s, replacing traditional cages with the behavioral-exhibit design that emphasizes natural movement, a shift credited with the zoo’s dramatic turnaround in visitor numbers during the 2000s.
Explore more: Explore more top zoos and aquariums.
Asahiyama Zoo FAQs
Where is Asahiyama Zoo located?
It is located in Asahikawa, in central Hokkaido, Japan, and is recognized as the northernmost zoo in the country.
What is Asahiyama Zoo best known for?
It’s best known for its winter Penguin Walk and its behavioral exhibits, including a glass tunnel through the penguin pool and an underwater dome for viewing polar bears.
When did Asahiyama Zoo open?
The zoo opened in July 1967 after construction that began the previous year.
Get More from Asahiyama Zoo
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Asahiyama Zoo, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: 欅 (Keyaki) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.