[Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture] Three generations of parents and children went to Tohoku Safari Park!

Three generations of parents and children visited Tohoku Safari Park in Fukushima Prefecture.
In this article, we will introduce the highlights of Tohoku Safari Park.

What is Tohoku Safari Park?

Tohoku Safari Park is a zoo located in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.
The area is 1.5 million square meters.
free range area where lions, giraffes, elephants, deer, zebras, etc. are kept , there is also a "relaxation plaza" where sheep and camels are kept reptile hall where there are crocodiles and snakes, etc. There is also Fureai Hiroba where monkeys, guinea pigs, and other animals are kept

Additionally, the Ebisu Circuit is located adjacent to the track, and you can often hear loud noises in the area close to the circuit.
I didn't find the noise bothering me, but I think it's a feature not found in other zoos, so I'd like to mention it.

The author, whose father (deceased) was from Fukushima City, had often visited Fukushima Prefecture since he was a child, but this summer was the first time for the three generations of father and son to visit Fukushima together with his mother, wife, and three daughters. I visited.
Also, since no one other than his wife has ever experienced Tohoku Safari Park or even a safari park itself, I thought I would take this opportunity to visit.

<Information>Tohoku Safari Park

Google Map

We recommend a safari rental car when entering the free-range area.

can also be reached in about 20 minutes by taking a Fukushima Kotsu bus bound for Shiozawa Onsen from the
Iriguchi located near Nihonmatsu Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line However, there are only four buses a day (note that the times differ greatly between weekdays and holidays), so I think most people will have to drive their own cars.
If you are coming by car, it takes about 15 minutes from Nihonmatsu IC on the Tohoku Expressway.

Tohoku Safari Park entrance ( Fukushima tourist information site )

At the entrance, you can pay the entrance fee without getting out of your car and then drive straight into the park.
I paid the same-day ticket price, but there are also discounted advance tickets available, so please take advantage of them.

tohoku-safaripark.co.jp
Link
Price information | Tohoku Safari Park - A large collection of animals from all over the world!
http://tohoku-safaripark.co.jp/price
Very impressive! Animals up close! Let's see, touch, and feel the lives of animals that follow their wild instincts up close, something you can't experience in everyday life.

When you enter the zoo, is it normal for you to go to the free-range area first?
In the free range area,

  • Enter the car you came in with
  • Enter by safari rental car
  • Take the park bus

You can enter it in three ways.
Of course, if you use a safari rental car or park bus, additional charges will apply.
However, the official website of the park also clearly states that

*We do not compensate for any damage to your car caused by animals.
*Please note that this may cause scratches on your car or damage to side mirrors and door visors.
*We recommend using a safari rental car when entering the park.

I absolutely do not recommend driving your own car or a rental car rented elsewhere .
`` some of the safari rental cars didn't have side mirrors ,'' you'll understand that I can't recommend them
(even if there are cars with side mirrors, please fold them up in the free range area (you will be guided).
So my family took a safari rental car with a zebra pattern.

When you enter the free range area, you will first pass through the area where the lions are free range.
In this area, not only is it prohibited to leave the vehicle, but stopping the vehicle is also prohibited as it is dangerous.
The lions were relaxing and I could hardly see them moving, but perhaps this is just what lions look like.

After passing through the lion area, you will enter the herbivore area.
Here you can open your car window and feed the animals.
The animals know that they will receive food when the car comes, so they keep coming towards the car.
They put their noses and horns against the side glass of cars... Even though they are herbivores, they are not "herbivorous" at all.

Herbivores approaching the car (taken by the author; all subsequent photos taken by the author or his companion)

Some animals drool on the windows, so it gets pretty dirty , so you'll definitely regret it if you enter with your own car.
With the animals being so aggressive, it would seem that the car would be surrounded by animals and unable to move, but strangely, the animals do not stand in front of the car forever.
Do they know that it is dangerous to stand in front of them in their own way?

The elephants are kept in a fence and you can't get close to them by car, but when you throw food on the ground in front of the fence, they deftly use their trunks to pick up and eat the food. .
Even the adults were impressed by this.

My third daughter, who is 2 years old, was afraid of the animals and wouldn't feed them, but my eldest daughter (2nd grade) and second daughter (4 years old) were happy to throw food at them. , they will run out of food halfway through.
And there is a kind of intermediate gate in the right place, where you can buy additional bait.
The price is exquisite, half the price of buying at the entrance.
Of course I ended up buying it.

Shows are held daily in the attraction area.

After finishing the free range area, we went to the attraction area.
Animal shows are held here.
The content changes depending on the day, and on the day I visited, there was a fur seal show and a monkey performance.

Fureai Square

Next we visited Fureai Hiroba.
You can experience touching and feeding rabbits, guinea pigs, ring-tailed lemurs, and more.
Her eldest daughter especially seemed to like it.

Kitakata ramen at a restaurant

There is a restaurant almost in the center of the safari park.
The restaurant feels like a restaurant with a bit of a Showa feel.
It wasn't expensive and tasteless, which is often the case with leisure facilities, and the content was reasonable.
Since we came to Fukushima Prefecture, the author and his wife decided to eat Kitakata Ramen.

There is also a shop where you can buy souvenirs, and each of my three daughters bought their favorite stuffed animals.

Parrots making a fuss at the reptile museum

We passed through the ``Walking Area'' where red pandas, white tigers, and lions are kept, and the ``Relaxing Plaza'' where sheep and Bactrian camels are kept, and finally visited the reptile house.

Python molting its skin

Inside the museum, a large python is in the process of shedding its skin.
She is a stubborn eldest daughter who tries to see everything through to the end, and she wanted to see the shedding of her skin, which was only about half done, until the end, but as expected, she gave up.

Although it is called a reptile house, parrots are kept there.
I had never seen a parrot say things like "konnichiha" and "bye-bye," so it was quite a shocking experience.
Although he said bye-bye, it seemed like he didn't want the audience to leave and was trying to keep him back, so he started rampaging wildly. written).
It was the last, and in some ways the most memorable event at Tohoku Safari Park.

summary

It was my first experience at a safari park, but I was able to get all the experiences I expected from a safari park, such as observing animals up close and feeding them.
Her wife, mother, and children also seemed to have made their own memories before heading home.
Be sure to take a safari rental car and see the animals up close in the free-range area.

As a side note, I visited during summer vacation, but Obon had not yet arrived, but it wasn't too crowded.
This is one of the facilities we recommend for those who want to go out on long holidays, but want to avoid excessive crowds.

Articles that may be related to this article

Other articles