Jōyama Zoo — Attraction in Nagano

Calling this a zoo is pathetic. I read all the lowest reviews and wanted to see how bad it was. All the animals are enclosed in very small spaces, barely able to move, especially the sea lions and the turtles. When I saw how the turtles are put into these small boxes, it broke my heart. I only saw one man working and not interacting with anybody. The center of the zoo smells like feces from the monkeys, proving it's not probably cleaned and maintained.

Then near the end, I got an eerie feeling seeing the kiddie rides completely abandoned and nobody at the ticket lines. The whole thing just feels like a money laundering scheme. I have visited many zoos including one in Tokyo, Auckland, and the Bronx, and they're all superior to this one. Calling this a "zoo" is a disgrace. Shut the damn place down!!!

An absolute shame because the rest of Nagano is beautiful, but all the wild birds I've seen are much happier than...

Unfortunately, this zoo is very depressing and miserable. We were in the vicinity because of the temple and thought we would make a detour there. Admission is free. There are some rides for children and lots of seating. There are seals, monkeys, deer, flamingos, pelicans etc. The enclosures are not species-appropriate and very tiny. The water from all animals was super dirty. There was a lot of excrement in every enclosure. The animals hardly have any space to move around. It broke my heart. A...

This place is deeply depressing and heartbreaking to see. The enclosures are incredibly small and unkept. I couldn't help but say I'm sorry to all the animals unfortunate enough to live there. The sea lions enclosure was particularly upsetting, where they were separated and had a tiny space to swim. Just so sad. I hope this zoo gets shut down and the animals can get a better life elsewhere. "I'm swimming nowhere. Concrete is all I have known. Counting...