Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden — Attraction in Oita

There are two troops of Japanese Macaques that alternate to come down from the mountain to this park. The staff feeds them pellets, cleans up after them all the time, etc. There is some buildings, structures and enrichment for the monkeys, but for the most part, they just do their thing. A Japanese guide tells interesting details non-stop. I asked a guard in English about the dominant monkeys in the troops and he was able to point to one. The monorail (slow) is 110 yen extra and the tickets 520 yen for adults. The big girls/guys monkeys do a fair amount of harassing the junior monkeys, etc. I have seen small kids being chased likewise; the signs say to hold your child's hand, probably for that reason. It's supposed to be good luck if a monkey runs between your legs and everyone stands with their feet apart to make it happen. This was a cute, interesting and memorable experience. There is a big aquarium across the...

You really cannot get an experience like this anywhere else in Japan. The entrance fee is cheap, and you can get here by bus from Beppu Station. We spent 2 hours here. We were initially skeptical, thinking the monkeys were going to be aggressive, stealing things, maybe attacking you. But they actually ignore you and you can see them interact with each other. They do not run away from you, so if you slowly walk towards them, you can get close and observe them.

The caretakers do feeding every half an hour so you can see them all rush to the food. It is considered good luck if a monkey runs through your legs, so stand in a wide stance hoping they run past you. The guides speak only in Japanese, but I think it is still a worthwhile experience. There are some unique characters to look out for, like an old monkey that only walks on two legs.

DO NOT TOUCH DO NOT FEED DO NOT TEASE DO...

I highly recommend visiting Takasakiyama Monkey Park if you are staying in Beppu and like monkeys. The monkeys are wild, they are not in cages, they simply come by for the free food. There are also climbing structures and toys for them. You cannot interact with the monkeys as they are dangerous but you can watch them and enjoy their antics. They feed the monkeys every 30 minutes, at 0 and 30 minutes past the hour, while the guides give interesting information about the monkeys (in Japanese only). The ticket is 520円 although you can pay more for the cable car (not necessary unless you’re low mobility, it’s only a 5 minute walk up a hill or some stairs). You can also get a combination ticket with the neighbouring aquarium, but I do not recommend it due to mistreatment of animals (walrus and dolphin shows, small tanks, according to...