Asahiyama Zoo’s opening hours change with the season, so it is important to know roughly when you plan to visit. In the main summer season, from late April to around mid-October, the zoo is generally open from 9:30 to 17:15, with final admission at 16:00.
In mid-October the closing time becomes a little earlier; many guides describe a short shoulder period from about mid-October to early November when the zoo runs from 9:30 to 16:30, again with last entry at 16:00.
https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/
In winter, Asahiyama Zoo switches to much shorter daytime hours because of the cold and snow. From roughly mid-November to early April, the standard winter opening hours are 10:30 to 15:30, and you must enter by 15:00.
Around early November and the New Year period there are also fixed closed days: most official information notes that the zoo is usually closed from 4 November to 10 November and again from 30 December to 1 January, although exact dates can shift slightly each year.
On top of these regular daytime hours, Asahiyama Zoo is famous for its limited “Night Zoo” and “Snow Light Zoo” events. For about a week in summer around the Obon holidays, the zoo opens as a Night Zoo, staying open until around 21:00 with last entry at 20:00, so visitors can watch the animals’ behaviour after dark. In mid-winter, a few special days are designated as Snow Light Zoo evenings, when the zoo opens at night again, typically until about 20:30.
These night openings are very popular and happen on only a small number of days each year, so checking the specific dates in advance is essential if you want to experience them.
Because the exact calendar for summer, shoulder season, winter season, and special night openings is adjusted every year, the safest way to confirm the current opening hours for your exact travel date is to check the official Asahiyama Zoo website’s opening-hours and event calendar page shortly before you go.
As a simple rule of thumb, you can remember that summer means 9:30 to late afternoon, while winter means 10:30 to mid-afternoon, with only a few carefully advertised nights when the zoo stays open after dark.
asahiyama zoo close
When people ask “what time does Asahiyama Zoo close?”, the answer depends very much on the season. Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa changes its closing time between summer and winter, and there are also a few short closure periods each year, so it helps to think in terms of “summer daytime”, “winter daytime”, and “special events” rather than one fixed time.
https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/
In the main summer season, from late April to about mid-October, Asahiyama Zoo generally closes at 17:15. The gates open from 9:30 in the morning and the official last admission time is 16:00, but the grounds themselves remain open until 17:15, which is the moment staff begin asking visitors to move toward the exits. This longer summer closing time allows you to spend almost a full day in the park, moving slowly between the penguin, seal, polar bear and other popular enclosures while the light is still good. If you arrive after lunch, it is wise to remember that you will have only a few hours before closing, because the animals are often more active earlier in the day or in the cooler late afternoon.
Around mid-October, as the days become shorter and the weather turns colder, the closing time shifts a little earlier. For a short shoulder period, usually from about mid-October to early November, the zoo operates from 9:30 to 16:30, with last entry still at 16:00. In practice this means that you need to plan your visit around the early sunset in northern Hokkaido; if you arrive in the middle of the afternoon, you will find the light fading and the air cooling quickly, and you may feel rushed as the closing announcement plays.
The winter season at Asahiyama Zoo has a completely different rhythm. From roughly mid-November through early April, the zoo opens later and closes much earlier, reflecting the snow, ice and very short daylight hours in Asahikawa. In this period the zoo usually opens at 10:30 and closes at 15:30, with last admission at 15:00. This means that if you want to enjoy the famous winter penguin walk, the sight of seals and polar bears playing in the snow, and the crisp winter atmosphere, you should enter as early in the day as possible and make use of the limited time before closing. Many visitors aim to arrive before the gates open, step in soon after 10:30, and then follow a simple loop around the most popular areas so they are not surprised when the 15:30 closing time arrives.
There are also complete closure periods when the zoo is not open at all. Every year Asahiyama Zoo closes for maintenance and preparation between its main seasons. Typically there is a closed stretch from early November after the end of the autumn dates until the winter opening in mid-November, and another from 30 December to 1 January for the New Year holidays. The exact dates shift slightly from year to year, but if you turn up during these maintenance periods you will find the gates locked even in the middle of the day, so it is important to check the official calendar before you travel.
On top of its regular closing times, Asahiyama Zoo sometimes extends its hours on limited special evenings. During the height of summer around the Obon holidays, the zoo runs a “Night Zoo” event where the closing time is pushed back to around 21:00, with last entry in the early evening. On a few mid-winter days it also holds a “Snow Light Zoo”, where visitors can stay into the evening and see the animals and enclosures lit up against the snow. These night events are exceptions rather than the rule, and they are heavily advertised on the official website and in local media precisely because, on almost all other days, the zoo closes in the late afternoon (or mid-afternoon in winter).
If you are preparing a trip and want a simple way to remember the pattern, you can think like this: in summer Asahiyama Zoo closes a little after five o’clock, in winter it closes in the middle of the afternoon, and in between there is a short transition period with a four-thirty closing time. Add to that the brief full-closure windows in early November and over New Year, plus a few special nights with much later closing times, and you have a realistic picture of when you can and cannot visit. For the most accurate information for a specific date, it is always a good idea to check the opening-hours calendar on the official Asahiyama Zoo site shortly before you go, but understanding these seasonal closing times will already help you build a practical itinerary and avoid disappointment at the gate.
asahiyama zoo how long
When people say “Arashiyama Zoo,” they almost always mean Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. If that is the place you are asking about, here is a realistic guide to how long it takes to enjoy Asahiyama Zoo without feeling rushed.
For most visitors, the comfortable answer is:
Plan for about 3–4 hours inside Asahiyama Zoo, plus travel time.In other words, think of it as a relaxed half-day visit.What you can do in 3–4 hours
With three to four hours you can move at an easy pace and still see the highlights that make Asahiyama Zoo famous:
Watch the penguins from the underwater tunnel and outdoor poolSee seals, polar bears, and other arctic animals in the specially designed “behaviour exhibits”
Visit a few extra areas such as the wolves, big cats, monkeys, and smaller animalsTake breaks in rest houses, browse the gift shop, and have a simple meal or snackYou will not have to run from enclosure to enclosure, and you will have time to wait a little at popular spots until the animals start to move.
Summer vs. winter: does the ideal time change?
The best length of stay at Asahiyama Zoo is slightly different depending on the season.In the summer season, opening hours are longer and the weather is mild. Many people arrive in the late morning and stay until mid-afternoon. You can easily fill four hours just by strolling slowly, watching the animals, taking photos, and resting in the shade.
In winter, the zoo has shorter hours and the air is very cold, so your visit naturally becomes more focused. Even then, three hours goes by quickly if you include the famous winter penguin walk, time at the polar bear and seal areas, and a few indoor breaks to warm up. Because the zoo closes mid-afternoon in winter, you effectively have a built-in limit of around three to four hours anyway.
Is 1–2 hours enough?
If you are on a tight schedule, it is possible to do a “quick visit” in about 1.5 to 2 hours, but you need to be selective. In that case, most people head straight for:
Penguins
Seals and polar bears
One or two other favourite zones
You will get a taste of Asahiyama Zoo’s unique, close-up viewing style, but you will miss many areas and may feel a little rushed. This kind of short stop works best if you are combining the zoo with other Asahikawa sights on the same day.
When would you spend a full day?
A full-day stay at Asahiyama Zoo is not required, but it can be enjoyable if:
You are visiting with small children who walk slowly and need frequent restYou are a serious animal lover or photographer who wants to wait for specific behavioursYou happen to visit on a special “Night Zoo” or “Snow Light Zoo” evening and want to experience both daytime and night-time atmospheresIn those cases, people often spend five to six hours in total, taking long breaks in between.
Simple planning rule for your itinerary
For trip planning, an easy rule is:
Allow 3–4 hours inside Asahiyama Zoo
Add 30–40 minutes each way for transport between central Asahikawa and the zoo
That means a visit to Asahiyama Zoo comfortably fills half a day on your Hokkaido itinerary.
asahiyama zoo tickets price
If you are planning a visit and wondering about the Asahiyama Zoo ticket price, the system is actually very simple. The zoo uses a flat, one–day admission fee for adults, while children can enter for free, and there is also a very affordable annual pass.
Right now, the standard Asahiyama Zoo ticket price for adults is 1,000 yen per person. In the official system, “adult” means high school age and above. This 1,000-yen ticket is valid for one day and covers entry to all normal exhibits inside the zoo; there are no separate charges for specific animal areas or houses. You simply buy the ticket, go through the gate, and you are free to explore until closing time that day.
For children, the Asahiyama Zoo ticket price is the easiest of all: junior high school age and younger enter free of charge. In other words, families with kids do not need to buy separate child tickets, which makes this zoo very budget-friendly if you are travelling with children or visiting from within Hokkaido with your family.
There are also discounted Asahiyama Zoo ticket prices for groups and local residents. For groups of 25 paying adults or more, the one-day ticket is reduced to 900 yen per adult. Asahikawa citizens can buy a ticket at a special “citizen price,” which is 700 yen for a single day. On top of that, there are reductions or exemptions for people over a certain age and for visitors with disabilities, as long as they meet the conditions set by the city. These details are listed on the official Asahiyama Zoo website but the key point is that the maximum you will pay as a regular visitor is 1,000 yen for a full day.
If you plan to visit more than once in a year, it is worth looking at the Asahiyama Zoo annual passport. The passport currently costs 1,400 yen and allows unlimited entrance for one year from the first day you use it. Considering that a single adult ticket is 1,000 yen, the math is very simple: if you visit twice in the same year, the passport already saves money. This can be a good option for long-stay travellers in Hokkaido, repeat visitors, or families staying with relatives in Asahikawa who might go several times across different seasons.
https://experiences.travel.rakuten.com/
In terms of how to buy your Asahiyama Zoo tickets, you have several choices. The most basic way is to purchase a paper ticket directly at the gate on the day of your visit, paying the standard 1,000 yen adult fee in cash or by accepted cashless methods. However, the zoo and the city also support web tickets and convenience-store tickets for the regular 1,000-yen adult admission. If you buy in advance online or at a convenience store, you can usually go straight to the gate and show the QR code or ticket, which can save time on busy days. The price for these advance tickets is the same as the standard adult admission; you are mainly buying convenience, not a discount.
You will also see many travel websites and tour companies selling “Asahiyama Zoo tickets” as part of a day-tour package from Sapporo or other cities. These packages often look much more expensive, but that is because they include round-trip bus transport, sometimes lunch, and often additional stops such as Biei, Blue Pond or Shirahige Waterfall. The pure zoo admission inside those packages is still the same 1,000-yen base ticket; the extra cost is for transport and guiding.
So, if you are writing or planning a trip, you can summarise the Asahiyama Zoo ticket price very clearly: adults pay 1,000 yen for a one-day ticket, children up to junior high school age enter for free, and an annual pass is only 1,400 yen. Group and citizen discounts exist, but for most international visitors the simple number to remember is 1,000 yen per adult.
asahiyama zoo time
When people say “Arashiyama Zoo” they almost always mean Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, and its opening hours follow a clear annual pattern rather than twelve totally different monthly schedules. The city publishes an official calendar every year, and for the current 2025 season it divides the year into four main opening periods plus a few short closure windows. From this, you can easily understand what the opening hours look like month by month and explain them clearly to your readers.
https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/
In the deep winter months of January, February and March, Asahiyama Zoo operates on a short winter timetable. From January 2 to April 7, the zoo opens at 10:30 and closes at 15:30, with last entry at 15:00.
This means that throughout January and February, and all of March, visitors should think of Asahiyama Zoo as a “late-morning to mid-afternoon” destination. The only exception inside this period is a three-day “Snow Light Zoo” event in early February, when the zoo stays open into the evening until 20:30, with last entry at 20:00, so guests can experience the illuminated winter zoo at night.
Apart from New Year’s closure on December 30–January 1, there are no extra closed days in these months, so you can tell readers that January–March are winter hours every day, with just those special February nights as a bonus.
April is split between winter opening and maintenance closure and the start of the long summer day. Up to April 7, the zoo still uses the winter schedule, opening 10:30–15:30 as in the earlier months. Then from April 8 to April 25 the zoo closes completely to prepare for the new season.
This is important for trip planning because some visitors are surprised to find the gates shut in mid-April. At the end of the month, from April 26 to April 30, Asahiyama Zoo moves into its full summer timetable, opening from 9:30 to 17:15 with last admission at 16:00.
So if your blog readers visit in late April, they should expect long summer hours, but if they come in the first three weeks they must be careful to avoid the annual closure period.
From May through mid-October, the pattern is simple and very visitor-friendly. Between April 26 and October 15, which covers all of May, June, July, August and September, plus the first half of October, Asahiyama Zoo keeps the same generous summer hours every day: 9:30–17:15, last entry 16:00.
For most travellers this is the easiest period to remember. Families can arrive in the morning, spend four or five hours walking around, and still leave before closing time without any rush. During the Obon holiday week in August, there is a special “Night Zoo” event; on those days, typically August 10–16, the zoo stays open until 21:00 (last entry 20:00), so people can see nocturnal animals and enjoy a completely different evening atmosphere.
But outside this limited event, you can safely describe May, June, July, August and September as months with stable, long summer opening hours.
The second half of October and the beginning of November form a short transition season with slightly shorter days. From October 16 to November 3, the zoo opens at 9:30 as in summer, but closes earlier at 16:30, with last admission still at 16:00.
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In practical terms, that means visitors in late October and in the first three days of November lose about forty-five minutes of potential visiting time compared with high summer. Because sunset comes earlier in Hokkaido at this time of year, the shorter closing time matches the fading light and the colder afternoons. It is a small change, but worth mentioning in a monthly guide so readers are not surprised when staff begin closing announcements around late afternoon.
Straight after this shoulder season, Asahiyama Zoo shuts its gates again for a short break. From November 4 to November 10, the zoo is closed to the public for seasonal maintenance and preparation for the main winter opening.
This means that if someone is planning an early November visit, they need to aim for the very first days of the month, when the zoo is still on the 9:30–16:30 schedule, or wait until mid-November when the winter timetable begins. Many travel sites only show “open in winter 10:30–15:30” and “closed November 4–10”, so spelling out these dates by month is very helpful for readers building a precise itinerary.
From November 11 through the end of the year, Asahiyama Zoo returns to its winter pattern. For November 11 to December 29, the published hours are again 10:30–15:30, last entry 15:00, which covers the second half of November and almost all of December.
On some years, a short “Snow Light Zoo” night opening is added in early February, but in ordinary weeks visitors should think of winter as a compact daytime visit. Finally, from December 30 to January 1 the zoo closes completely for the New Year holidays, before reopening on January 2 and repeating the same winter hours for the next calendar year.
