TOMODACHI TV

ANIMALS

★ ＴＯＰ５ ★

Bow to deer, watch monkeys bathe in hot springs, get mobbed by bunnies — Japan's most unforgettable animal meetups.

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NO.1

Nara Deer Park 奈良公園

Free-roaming wild sika deer ・ Nara (Kintetsu/JR Nara Stn) ・ Free (crackers ~¥200) Deer are Natural Monuments

~1,200 wild sika deer roam freely; revered as sacred messengers, many bow politely for shika-senbei crackers.

Jigokudani Monkey Park 地獄谷野猿公苑

Wild snow monkeys in a hot spring ・ Nagano (bus + 30-min walk) ・ ¥800 Famed wild monkeys bathing in an onsen

World-famous macaques that soak in a natural hot spring to escape the winter cold — the original 'snow monkeys'.

Okunoshima 'Rabbit Island' 大久野島

Island of tame rabbits ・ Hiroshima (ferry from Tadanoumi) ・ Free (ferry ~¥360) Cult-famous 'Usagi Shima'

A small Inland Sea island, once a secret WWII gas site, now home to hundreds of friendly rabbits that hop up to greet you.

Zao Fox Village 蔵王キツネ村

Walk-among free-roaming foxes ・ Miyagi (Shiroishi-Zao Stn + taxi) ・ ¥1,500 Rare hands-on fox sanctuary

A mountain sanctuary with 100+ foxes (several species and color variants) roaming freely; you can walk among them and feed them.

Tashirojima 'Cat Island' 田代島

Island where cats outnumber people ・ Miyagi (ferry from Ishinomaki) ・ Free (ferry ~¥1,250) Iconic 'Neko Shima'

A tiny fishing island where free-roaming cats vastly outnumber residents, historically protected for good luck; a cat shrine sits on the island.

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Photos: free-license / CC (Wikimedia · Unsplash · Pexels) — placeholder stock; final = shop-supplied.