Japan Snake Center, Serpentarium in Yabuzuka Onsen, Japan
The Japan Snake Center keeps snakes from all continents in outdoor pens and heated glass houses organized by habitat and venom type. The facility includes separate zones for constrictor species, vipers, and aquatic snakes, along with a working laboratory for serum production.
The facility opened in the 1960s to study native venomous snakes and develop antivenoms for local species. It later expanded its collection to include foreign snakes and became a national reference center for snakebite cases.
The facility includes a White Snake Kannon statue, established for protection and health, reflecting Japanese spiritual connections between snakes and fortune.
A walking path leads from the train station through residential streets to the center, with signs marking the route from the main intersection. The grounds sit on flat terrain with paved walkways between enclosures.
Staff members extract venom from live snakes during public demonstrations on weekends, holding the animals calmly on a work surface. In the tropical house, water moccasins swim freely in an open pool behind low glass walls.
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