Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Kamikawa!

by ＧＥＮ(Kamikawa Sub-prefectural Office)

How is going everybody?

Today I would like to introduce Asahiyama Zoological garden in Asahikawa City though many people know about it. 

Asahiyama Zoo was opened in 1967. While other zoos in Japan were having tough time to allure the visitors in the decrease of kids, it introduced the way of exhibiting animals in which the visitors could see the creatures swimming, roaming, flying and doing other activities in close distance in 1997. The way of exhibition was called "KODO TENJI" which means "exhibition of action "in Japanese , and introduced by Asahiyama Zoo for the first time in Japan. The introduction of this way of exhibition attracted many visitors and number of visitors increased by leaps and bounds. In 2011 FY, affected by the devastating earthquake and Otsunami in eastern part of Japan, the number of visitors to the zoo decreased so much but it recorded the number of approximately 1.72million people. It can be said that the zoo has kept its position as one of the best three zoos as well as Ueno Oncho(Grace) Zoological Garden in Tokyo and Higashiyama Zoological Garden in Nagoya. 

　　

This photo shows one of the famous "exhibition of action" in which a seal is swimming through the transparent pipe that connects the pool for seals inside and outside the building.The visitors in opposite side can be seen through the transparent pipe.

This is Humboldt Penguins.In winters, the penguins show the parade in the zoo and as they stroll just in front of the visitors, that drive the kids crazy !

this polar bear is the most popular in this zoo. The bear is facing the window made of sheet glass. the visitors and the bear are gazing at each other from opposite side of the glass shield. It is so popular that the visitors may have to make line to gaze at the bear in close distance from opposite side of the glass shield.

The kid chimpanzee is jumping from the rope to another and the performance like a acrobat performer in circus makes the cheers of the audiences.

This is called "mixed exhibition" in which active animals and lying animals are in the same place. A jefroik monkey and capibara is in the same place. It is so humorous that the capibara pay no attention to the monkey and  is lying down so comfortably. Other than that the mixed exhibition of spotted seals and sea gulls can be seen in the zoo. 
Familiar animals such as lions, tigers, hippopotamus and orangutans are raised in this zoo as well as endangered species such as lesser pandas and eagle owls called "shima fukuro". On every Sunday and holiday, the breeders of each animal give the lecture on the behavior of the animal and other interesting attractions are arranged so much.  The annual passport can be purchased for 1,000 Japanese Yen and the entitles the guest to visit the zoo as many times as he/she can for a year since the purchase. Please buy the annual passport  of the zoo and visit it again and again. Needless to say, not only the kids but also the adults can enjoy enough their stay and walk in the zoo for all day long, being eased their pain and given the comforts. I guarantee! 

Address: Postal Code 078-8205
         Kuranuma, Higashi Asahikawa-Cho, Asahikawa City
Phone: 0166-36-1406
URL: http://www5.city.asahikwa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo

Entrance Fee: Adult 800 Japanese Yen
          （The citizen of Asahikawa City 580Japanese Yen）

　　　　　　　Group 700Japanese Yen/ person(
           (The citizen of Asahikawa City 480Japanese Yen)

　　　　　　　Junior High School student and younger kid: for free

　・Open　           ～Nov.3, 2012　　      9:30～17:15

　　(Night zoo)   　　Aug.12～16, 2012　　9:30～20:00

　　　　　　　　　   Nov.18, 2012～Apr.7, 2013 10:30～15:30