Aso Cuddly Dominion, Animal park in Aso, Japan

Aso Cuddly Dominion is a zoo in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, centred on bears: about 200 of seven species among roughly 800 animals of 100 species. Its grounds hold the Miyazawa Theatre, opened 17 July 2004, the Bear Valley with its glass bridge and bear cave, and a chimpanzee learning forest. A wide banner reading "Welcome to Cuddly Dominion" hangs over the entrance gates.

The park opened in July 1973 as Aso Bear Ranch, founded by a former employee of a Hokkaido bear ranch who chose a disused quarry site in Aso; the start was delayed about two months by material shortages during the 1972-73 oil crisis. It began with 60 bears and later kept up to 400. The name changed to Aso Cuddly Dominion in March 1998, and in 1999 the park began admitting visitors with pets.

The name combines the English "cuddly" with "dominion", meaning a territory of animals cute enough to hug. The 十二支苑, a zodiac monument at the centre of the park, was built to console the souls of animals and of those lost when a transport ship carrying the founder's 轟戦車隊 unit was sunk in World War II; animals were then placed around it.

The park lies around 35 kilometers from Kumamoto Interchange and opens in the morning at 9:30 until the evening at 5:30. Sturdy footwear makes walking the elevated paths easier, and during warm months, shaded areas offer opportunities to rest.

The 2011 Bear Valley section added a glass bridge and a bear cave, giving visitors a view of the bears from above. The park also keeps around 200 bears of seven of the world's bear species, and visitors can hold a cub on their lap. The name Cuddly Dominion means "a place with many animals you want to hug".