Aso Cuddly Dominion
A hillside zoo in Aso where Bear Valley holds about 130 bears of three species.
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Aso Cuddly Dominion
SaveA hillside zoo in Aso where Bear Valley holds about 130 bears of three species.
Some bears answer a held-out snack with a beckoning pose, seen from a glass bridge over the valley.
MoreWhat kind of place
Bear Valley is the heart of the park, with about 130 bears of three species, among them Japanese black bears and Ezo brown bears. Walking through the valley is included in admission, while the snacks cost extra.
A glass bridge runs over the valley, so you can also see the bears from above. Several spots on the grounds open onto the Aso landscape.
A brown bear monument about three meters (10 ft) tall stands beside the indoor small-animal area.
Sources and evidence (12)
- Strollers are rented at the park entrance, for children from one month to four years old (48 months) and up to 18 kg (about 40 lb).source
- A rental stroller costs 500 yen for three hours, 100 yen for each extra hour, plus a 1,000 yen deposit that is refunded when you return it.source
- There are many spots around the park that open onto sweeping views of the Aso landscape.source
- The park map includes a recommended wheelchair route.source
- Bear Valley is home to about 130 bears of three species, including Japanese black bears and Ezo brown bears.source
- In Bear Valley you can offer the bears a snack, and the bears are known to answer with a beckoning pose.source
- Walking through Bear Valley is included in admission, while the snacks and special events cost extra.source
- The Bear Valley area is roofed, so it still works in the rain, though you will want an umbrella in a few spots.source
- The bear snacks are sold in limited numbers and can sell out.source
- A glass bridge crosses above Bear Valley, so you can see the bears from a different angle.source
- A brown bear monument about three meters (10 ft) tall stands beside the indoor small-animal area.source
- Shops around the park entrance sell the park's own goods along with souvenirs from Kumamoto and Aso.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If your child has only ever seen a bear behind glass, here you can buy a snack for them to hold out, and a bear may answer with a beckoning pose.
About 130 bears live in Bear Valley, at the center of this hillside park in Aso, Kumamoto, and the valley is roofed, so a wet day doesn't cancel it.
The snacks are sold in limited numbers and can sell out, so make the valley your first stop rather than your last and you won't arrive to find them gone.
Afterwards the indoor small-animal area, Chibikko Doubutsu Hiroba, lets the kids slow down with guinea pigs, parrots and reptiles they can touch at no extra charge.
Strollers rent at the entrance for 500 yen for three hours, and the grassy areas around the grounds are yours to sit on for a packed lunch.
Sources and evidence (5)
- Guinea pig petting sessions are held either at the guinea pig yard (Morumoru Hiroba) in front of the restaurant or in the indoor small-animal area (Chibikko Doubutsu Hiroba).source
- You can touch the reptiles every day, at no extra charge on top of admission.source
- Two shows, at Miyazawa Theater and the Pookies stage, run at different places and times. You feed the bears from above.source
- Feeding the bears in Bear Valley and holding a cub born in February, then 11kg. Alpacas and penguins take food too.source
- On 8 November Aso was 13C against Fukuoka's 19C — bring a down jacket. In winter the food stands stop orders at 14:30.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The Bear Valley area is roofed, so you can watch the bears with the baby in your arms, though a few spots still need an umbrella. From the Glass Bridge that crosses over Bear Valley you look down on the bears from a different angle. Beside the Little Ones' Animal Plaza stands a monument of a brown bear about three meters tall.There are three nursing rooms in the park. Strollers rent at the entrance for children from 1 month to 4 years (48 months) and up to 18 kg: 500 yen for three hours, 100 yen per extra hour, with a 1,000 yen deposit refunded when you return it. The park map includes a recommended wheelchair route. Parking is free.
- Ages 2-3The Little Ones' Animal Plaza is indoors, where children meet small animals: guinea pigs, parrots, Japanese rat snakes, lizards. A renovation added alpacas and goats. The guinea pig petting session also runs at Morumoru Plaza in front of the restaurant. The reptile house has moved inside the plaza too, and reptile petting time is held every day at no charge.The Little Ones' Animal Plaza is open 10:00-16:50 in summer and 10:00-16:00 in winter, opening later and closing earlier than the park itself. Admission for a child aged 3 or over is 800 yen, and children must come with an adult. A family with a 3-year-old (November 2025) arrived around 13:30 and stayed the three hours until the 16:30 close.
- Ages 4-6In Bear Valley you can hold out a snack, and a bear answers with a beckoning pose. About 130 bears of three kinds, Japanese black bears and Ezo brown bears among them, live there, and watching them costs nothing. The animal shows at Miyazawa Theater and Cuddly Hall are free to watch as well.The bear snacks are limited in number and can sell out. Watching Bear Valley is free, but the snacks and special events cost extra. Admission is 800 yen for a child 3 or over, 1,400 yen for elementary and junior high pupils, and for adults from high school age 2,600 yen on weekdays, 2,900 yen on weekends, holidays and special dates. The helicopter sightseeing flights are suspended.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayBear Valley is under a roof, so you can watch the bears in the rain (an umbrella is needed in parts). The Chibikko Animal Plaza, where children handle guinea pigs and parrots, is an indoor space, and the reptile house inside it has heating and air conditioning. The grass plazas where you eat a packed lunch, and the viewpoints over Aso, are outside.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed3 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：yes
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Two shows, at Miyazawa Theater and the Pookies stage, run at different places and times. You feed the bears from above.
[Zoo] Aso Cuddly Dominion, Kumamoto
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Feeding the bears in Bear Valley and holding a cub born in February, then 11kg. Alpacas and penguins take food too.
ayaka.o's discovery report from Aso Cuddly Dominion
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
On 8 November Aso was 13C against Fukuoka's 19C — bring a down jacket. In winter the food stands stop orders at 14:30.
November needs warm clothes: a family report from Aso Cuddly Dominion, plus real Kumamoto ramen
Aso Cuddly Dominion · Links & reads ▾
Where it is
2163 Kurokawa, Aso-shi, Kumamoto 869-2225source
Before you go
Basics
- Fee：Adults (high school and up) ¥2,600 weekdays / ¥2,900 weekends, holidays and peak days. Children (elementary and junior high) ¥1,400, ages 3 and over ¥800. Animal shows are free to watch. Half price for a disability certificate holder plus one accompanying adult. Annual passes ¥10,000 / ¥5,000 / ¥2,500. Parking is freesource
- Hours：Summer (20 Mar-12 Oct 2026) 9:30-17:00, until 17:30 on designated days. Winter (13 Oct 2026-19 Mar 2027) 10:00-16:30. Closed Wednesdays from December to February, except during the school winter break and public holidayssource
- Time to allow：3 hsource
- Booking：Tickets from a machine (cash, credit card, e-money, QR payment) or the staffed counter (cash, credit card, WAON, UnionPay); discounts are handled only at the counter. All advance tickets must be exchanged at the staffed windowsourceOfficial booking site ↗
- Note: the helicopter sightseeing ride is suspended. The park reopened as normal on 29 July 2026 after checks following the 2026 Kumamoto earthquakesource
Basics in detail (20)
- Summer hours (March 20 to October 12, 2026) are 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, and on some days the park stays open until 5:30 pm.source
- Winter hours (October 13, 2026 to March 19, 2027) are 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.source
- The park is closed on Wednesdays from December through February, except during the winter school break and on public holidays.source
- Admission for adults (high school age and up) is 2,600 yen on weekdays and 2,900 yen on weekends, public holidays, and the extra days the park designates; check with the park for your date.source
- Admission is 1,400 yen for elementary and junior high school students, and 800 yen for children aged 3 and over.source
- Admission prices for weekends, public holidays, and designated days were revised on April 1, 2026.source
- The animal shows at Miyazawa Theater and Cuddly Hall are free to watch.source
- A visitor holding a disability certificate, plus one accompanying adult, each pay half the admission price.source
- An annual pass costs 10,000 yen for adults, 5,000 yen for school-age children, and 2,500 yen for younger children.source
- Group rates apply to parties of 15 or more.source
- Children, including preschoolers, must be accompanied by an adult to enter.source
- Parking is free, with room for 1,200 cars and 10 buses.source
- The helicopter sightseeing flights are currently suspended.source
- The address is 2163 Kurokawa, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture.source
- The 2026 Kumamoto earthquake left the animals, the facilities, and the staff unaffected, and the park has been running normally since July 29, 2026.source
- The park publishes guidance saying you can bring your pet in with you.source
- By train, get off at Aso Station on the JR Hohi Line; the park is about 1.5 km (1 mile) from the station, on the Kumamoto City side, roughly three minutes by taxi.source
- The intercity buses (Yamabiko-go and the Kyushu Odan Bus) stop at Cuddly Dominion-mae, right by the park.source
- It is about a 40-minute taxi ride from Aso Kumamoto Airport.source
- By car, take Route 57 from the Kumamoto interchange toward Oita and Aso and drive straight for about 36 km.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (5)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Nursing space
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: main site
The park sits on the slopes of Aso, with viewpoints over the mountains through the grounds. Bear Valley is the heart of it: about 130 bears of three kinds, including Asian black bears and brown bears. Some answer a held-out snack with a beckoning pose, and the snacks are limited in number. A glass bridge crosses above the valley, and the area is roofed. The Children's Square is indoors and heated, with guinea pigs, parrots, alpacas, goats and reptiles to touch.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Stroller rental at the entrance: ¥500 for 3 hours, ¥100 per extra hour, plus a ¥1,000 deposit returned when you bring it back. For babies from 1 month to 4 years (48 months) up to 18kg. The park map includes a recommended wheelchair route | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | cuddly.co.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | cuddly.co.jp | |
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three nursing rooms in the park (locations are not given) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | cuddly.co.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | Lawns around the park are for picnics — the park itself suggests eating your bento on the grass. There is also a restaurant serving udon and curry (summer 11:00-15:30, winter 11:00-15:00) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | cuddly.co.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Mainly outdoors on the slopes of Aso, but Bear Valley is roofed (an umbrella is needed in places) and the Children's Square, including the reptile house, is indoors with heating and air conditioning | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | cuddly.co.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet |