Nagano City Jōyama Zoo

Nagano City Jōyama Zoo is located in Uematsu and displays sea lions, primates, penguins, and bird species across its grounds. The enclosures blend into the natural park landscape, creating separate viewing areas for each animal group.

The zoo started in 1958 with a monkey mountain and later became a full zoo in 1961. This expansion reflected the city's growing interest in building a proper animal facility.

Japanese macaques live here in family groups that you can watch up close throughout the day. Seeing how they interact and move together gives insight into their daily lives and social bonds.

A bus from JR Nagano station reaches the Doubutsuen Shita stop in roughly 15 minutes. The grounds are easy to walk through and admission is free for all visitors.

Visitors can buy food from vending machines to hand-feed more than 30 macaques in a dedicated area. This hands-on experience brings the animals to life and creates memorable moments.

Location: Uematsu

Inception: August 20, 1961

Official opening: August 20, 1961

Opening Hours: Holidays,Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00

Website: https://johyama.com

GPS coordinates: 36.66519,138.19403

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:00