A zookeeper, right, offers explanations while standing before the enclosure of Asian black bears as part of a “hibernation tour” at Morioka City Zoological Park Zoomo in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, on Jan. 10, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Morioka City Zoological Park Zoomo)
MORIOKA — Tours allowing visitors to observe hibernating Asian black bears at a zoo here is drawing strong interest amid a series of bear sightings in populated areas across Japan in this fiscal year.
Morioka City Zoological Park Zoomo in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, launched the unprecedented program in January 2024. Inquiries about the event have apparently surged due to the recent spate of bear appearances.
Five groups consisting of nine participants, including elementary school students in the city and visitors from Hokkaido, attended on Jan. 10, the first day of the tour this year. The guests peered through small windows to observe two black bears that entered hibernation in December 2025, sleeping huddled in a corner while a zookeeper provided explanations.
One visitor commented, “I learned for the first time that they give birth while hibernating,” while another said, “I didn’t know they eat three times as much before hibernation.”
Atsuko Mori, in charge of the zoo’s public relations, said, “Up to last year, the tours rarely reached full capacity even after registration began, but this year they have already been fully booked until the third day on Jan. 12, showing the high level of interest.” She added, “We believe it’s important to think about how we can coexist and what we can do as individuals by using this event as an opportunity to learn about bear ecology.”
The tours are scheduled to run on weekends and holidays until Feb. 15. Each session is limited to five groups, with up to five people per group, and costs 1,000 yen (about $6) for every group in addition to the park entry fee. For inquiries, please contact the park at 019-654-8266 (in Japanese).
(Japanese original by Takeyuki Sato, Morioka Bureau)
AloJapan.com