Asahiyama Zoo: Polar Bears, Penguins, Seals and How to Get There

At Asahiyama Zoo, the first thing that catches your eye is a seal rising through a clear vertical tube, as if the animal were curious about the people standing around it. Polar bears, penguins and seals are shown here in ways that put you close to how they move, rather than behind a rail.

Is visiting Asahiyama Zoo worth it?

Yes, if you enjoy watching animals behave rather than just ticking them off a list, and it suits families, couples and solo travelers who are heading to northern Hokkaido anyway. The zoo is the northernmost in Japan, and that shapes the whole place: cold-climate animals sit at the center of the visit, and the exhibits are built around how those animals swim, dive, waddle and play.

What sets it apart from other zoos in Japan is the way the exhibits are designed. A walk-through penguin aquarium and a seal aquarium with a vertical tube let you see the animals from angles a standard enclosure never offers. The Polar Bear Aquatic Park does the same for the bears.

The zoo is accredited by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and in August 2004 it drew more than 320,000 visitors in a single month, a total that put it ahead of Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

It also makes a good anchor for a day in Asahikawa, a city of rivers, hills and a lively crafts scene. If your Hokkaido trip is all ski slopes and ramen counters, the zoo adds a different rhythm, slower and more curious, and a good one to share with children.

What to see at Asahiyama Zoo

Polar Bear Aquatic Park

The Polar Bear Aquatic Park is the exhibit that gives the zoo its character. Instead of a flat pit with a pool at one end, it is arranged as an aquatic park, so you watch the bears in and around the water, which is where a polar bear spends much of its life. Pay attention to the way they move once they slip under, how the heavy body suddenly becomes graceful, and how they glance at the people on the other side of the glass.

Give this exhibit time. Bears are not on a schedule, and the pleasure comes from standing still and letting them do something: a slow swim, a sudden dive, a nap in the open. Bring patience and the camera follows by itself.

The walk-through penguin aquarium

The penguin aquarium is built so you walk through it, rather than look at it from one fixed spot. That changes the experience. Penguins that look stiff and comical on land turn into fast, streamlined swimmers in the water, and a walkway lets you follow them from different positions as they cross your field of view.

Children tend to love this one, and so do adults who thought they were only humoring the kids. Look at how the birds cluster, bicker and preen. Each one has a habit, and after a few minutes you begin to recognize who is the show-off.

The seal aquarium and its vertical tube

The seal aquarium has a vertical tube running up through the pool, and it is the feature visitors remember. Seals swim up through it, and you see them from the side, nose up, whiskers twitching, sometimes pausing as if inspecting you in return. It is the sort of thing that would be a gimmick elsewhere but works here because the seals seem to take part willingly.

Stand at the tube for a while rather than glancing and moving on. The seals dash, loop and hover, and their curiosity is half the show. It is also a good place for photos, since the animals come to you rather than the other way around.

Hours, tickets and rules

Asahiyama Zoo opened in July 1967, after construction finished the previous month at a cost of 250 million yen. It sits in Higashi Asahikawa, on the outskirts of the city, and it has run for decades as a full zoo rather than a small attraction, with exhibits spread across its grounds and designed to be walked through at your own speed.

The exhibits that matter most are the interactive ones: the Polar Bear Aquatic Park, the walk-through penguin aquarium and the seal aquarium with its vertical tube. They give the visit its shape, and travelers plan their route around them. The zoo’s accreditation by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums means it belongs to the national network of recognized zoos and aquariums.

As for the details of a visit, the useful thing to know is how the place is organized: three marquee exhibits, a layout meant for wandering, and an emphasis on seeing animals up close through glass and water. Treat the grounds as a place to follow your curiosity, and let the animals set the pace.

How to get to Asahiyama Zoo

From the Sapporo area, JR Hokkaido operates the Asahiyama Zoo Train, a service named for the zoo and running to it directly. For travelers based in Sapporo, it is the link to know about, and it makes the zoo a natural addition to a trip through central Hokkaido.

If you fly, Asahikawa Airport is the closest air gateway. It has flights to Tokyo Haneda, plus seasonal flights to Taipei on Tuesdays.

From the airport, a bus runs to Asahikawa station in 30 minutes, which puts you in the city that the zoo calls home. Asahikawa is the second-largest city in Hokkaido, lying northwest of the Daisetsuzan mountain range, so arriving here also puts you at the doorstep of the island’s mountain country.

Once in Asahikawa, the zoo lies in the Higashi Asahikawa area on the city’s outskirts. The city is a gateway for the Sounkyo Gorge and the Furano area, which means the zoo can sit comfortably in an itinerary that also heads into the hills.

When to visit Asahiyama Zoo

Asahikawa is a northern city, and the seasons here are distinct. Spring brings thaw and fresh green to the hills around the city, summer is the time for a long outdoor day among the animals, autumn colors the surrounding slopes, and winter brings snow to the landscape. A zoo of cold-climate animals feels especially at home when the weather is cold, and the polar bears and penguins suit a crisp day.

Whatever the month, dress for the weather outside, since much of the visit happens in the open air between exhibits. A rainy day is not a reason to cancel, because the aquarium-style exhibits are about watching animals in water, and the mood is not much changed by a gray sky.

If you can choose, pick a day when you have no other plans, so you can stay as long as the animals hold your attention. Zoos like this reward unhurried visits, and the best moments often come when you stop for a few extra minutes at the seal tube or the bear pool.

Tips for your visit

Start with the exhibits that are built for watching: the Polar Bear Aquatic Park, the penguin aquarium and the seal tube. Everything else is better enjoyed once you have seen them, and it is easy to lose an hour at any of the three. Bring a camera, and dress in layers so you can adjust between outdoor paths and indoor viewing areas.

Plan the day around the zoo as the main event. Asahikawa also has a lively arts and crafts culture, with more than 100 rivers flowing through the city, and a stroll through town after the animals makes a good counterweight. The city was designated a Design City by UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network on October 31, 2019, which gives a clue to the kind of workshops and design shops you may find.

For families, the interactive exhibits are the draw, and children usually take to the seals and penguins first. For those traveling on from Asahikawa, the Sounkyo Gorge and the Furano area are both reached from the city, so the zoo can open or close a longer route through northern Hokkaido.

Good to know before you go

Hokkaido winters are cold, so a warm coat, hat and gloves belong in the bag for a visit in the colder months, while the warmer months call for a light layer and comfortable shoes for the grounds. Asahikawa is a big city, with shops and restaurants around its station, and a meal in town rounds out the day. Keep some yen on hand for small purchases, and treat the animals with the respect any zoo asks of its visitors.