Noboribetsu Bear Park, Bear park in Noboribetsu Onsen, Japan.
Noboribetsu Bear Park is a facility for observing brown bears on Mount Shiyō in Noboribetsu Onsen, Japan. More than 60 bears live in large outdoor enclosures that visitors view through glass barriers.
The facility opened in July 1958 with eight brown bears as its first residents. Through successful breeding programs over the decades, the population grew to its current size.
A museum within the grounds focuses on the Ainu culture, where brown bears hold sacred status. Visitors can see traditional clothing, tools and ritual objects that illustrate the special place these animals occupy in the spiritual life of Hokkaidō's indigenous people.
A ropeway carries visitors in seven minutes from the Noboribetsu Onsen area up to the park on the mountain. The round-trip ride is already included in the admission.
Every autumn, visitors who bring acorns receive a discount on admission. The collected acorns are later used as food for the bears.
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