Maruyama Zoo - Hokkaido

Maruyama Zoo (札幌市円山動物園) is located at Miyagaoka 3-1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo City in Hokkaido Prefecture and is one of the largest zoos not only in the prefecture but also in Japan.

Maruyama Zoo

Maruyama Zoo details

(Winter)

Maruyama Zoo opened in 1951. Initially, the place was chosen by the city to be the venue to hold the "traveling zoo" of Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. It was such a hit that the local government of Sapporo City decided to open a zoo for itself. Hence, the birth of Maruyama Zoo. 

Maruyama Zoo - Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture

Welcome to Maruyama Zoo

Maruyama Zoo map and ticket

At present, Maruyama Zoo covers an area of about 22.5 hectares. It is home to 180+ different species and 900+ different types of animals that are housed in different areas of the zoo.

Maruyama Zoo map

These areas are:

Polar Exhibit

Tropical Bird House

General Waterbird Exhibit

Hippo and Lion House
  • Kangaroo House
  • Owl and Hawk Forest
  • Birds of Prey Exhibit
  • Kid's Zoo
  • Monkey Hill
  • Giraffe House
  • Maruppa (Square Playground)
  • Elephant Museum
  • Alpine Animal House
  • Ape House
  • Monkey House
  • Reptile and Amphibian House
  • Chimpanzee House
  • Ezo Deer Exhibit / Wold Exhibit
  • Brown Bear Exhibit
  • Polar Bear Museum

Each area has its unique charm and is guaranteed to "teach" visitors a thing or two about the animals in it. Some areas even allow visitors to interact with and touch the animals. I particularly liked the Elephant Museum as it has so much information about elephants. The elephants there looked very healthy as well. 

Some of the animals in Maruyama Zoo:











The first time that I visited Maruyama Zoo was last January 6, 2022, during my 10th week here in Japan as an ALT for the JET Programme. The zoo was vast and probably needs more than half a day to fully explore and appreciate. Sadly, we weren't able to visit all the areas of Maruyama Zoo as we didn't have enough time to do so. 

Overall, I think not being able to see everything is a blessing as it gives me an excuse to come back to Sapporo City and revisit Maruyama Zoo in the future. Next time, I'll make sure to bring my wife and daughter along. I know that they'd love it. 

Maruyama Zoo Admission Fee


To enter Maruyama Zoo, adults must pay 800 yen while high school students pay only 400 yen. The best part is that Junior High School and Elementary School Students are FREE.

Maruyama Zoo Operating Hours

Maruyama Zoo is open from:

March - October: 930-1630
November - February: 930-1600

Maruyama Zoo is closed every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month. 

Why visit Maruyama Zoo?

If you have no issues with seeing captive animals then this place is for you. Maruyama Zoo aims to educate its visitors about the different animals there. You would see that these animals are well-fed and are taken care of. The zoo is also a place to bring your kids if you want them to see different kinds of animals that they can only see in books. 

Getting to Maruyama Zoo




From Sapporo Station, was about 900m to Odori Station. Board the Tozai Subway Line and then get off at Maruyama Koen Station. 

Once there, you can either walk for 15-20 minutes going to the zoo or ride the JR Hokkaido Bus and board down at Dobutsuen mae bus stop. Walk for about a minute going to Maruyama Zoo. 

Ratings 

Crowd

Cleanliness

Overall Rating


Location: 3番地１ Miyagaoka, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0959, Japan

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 20, 2023 at 8:12 AM

    In my opinion, Maruyama Zoo is better than Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa. I like the layout of Maruyama Zoo plus the animals look healthier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioMarch 22, 2023 at 12:36 PM

      That's an interesting point. I've been to Asahiyama Zoo and I liked it too.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2024 at 11:24 AM

    Nice pictures.

    ReplyDelete

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