At the Zao Fox Village near Shiroishi City in the Miyagi Prefecture, you can come face to face with more than a hundred foxes, with no fences in between! You can find a variety of foxes here like the red, arctic and grey foxes. Watch them walk past you or play with each other at incredibly close distances inside a large, free-range enclosure. This place is particularly beautiful in winter, and the foxes playing and sleeping against the snowy landscape makes for some incredible photos.
However, do note that at the end of the day this is a tourist attraction and the foxes are here to make money. This means they are raised in captivity and will survive out in the wild, so they cannot be released. Some foxes are kept in smaller cages, particularly those that can be held by tourists (for a fee). This is not their natural habitat, nor do foxes hang out in such large groups in the wild.
Cheapest way to get to get to the Zao Fox Village from Sendai:
1. Catch a train from Sendai Station to Shiroishi Station (48 mins, ¥770, timetable available on Google Maps). Note that Shinkansen trains also go to the nearby Shiroishi-Zao station. It only takes 15mins but costs ¥3,170! So make sure you get on the right train
Shiroishi Station:
2. Board the 7:58am bus for Zao Fox Village at the bus stop right outside station, next to the Family Mart. Note that the bus only stops at Zao Fox Village on Tuesdays and Fridays! (45 mins, ¥200)
Bus Station:
Bus Timetable (Japanese): (
Zao Fox Village:
3. For the return trip, the only bus is at 2:32pm in the afternoon which means staying at the fox village for almost 6 hours. Alternatively, find other tourists and ask the staff to call a cab for you. It’s about ~¥1000 per person if you have a full cab.
If you have after coming back to Shiroishi City, do also check out what else the city has to offer within a 10mins walk from the station!
1. Climb the Shiroishi Castle for a panoramic view of Shiroishi City
2. Try the local specialty umen noodles at Hikarian
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