Japan Monkey Centre, Primate research center and zoo in Inuyama, Japan
The Japan Monkey Centre is a primate facility in Inuyama that houses more than 700 animals from 50 different species in habitats designed for both scientific and public purposes. The grounds include outdoor enclosures, indoor spaces with glass panels, and areas where the animals express their social structures.
The facility was founded as a research institute and has enabled numerous scientific discoveries about primate behavior and evolution since its opening. It evolved over the decades into a place where scientific work and public education come together.
The facility houses Japanese macaques that gather around firesides during cold months, a habit that began more than six decades ago. These monkeys use the warmth naturally and demonstrate behaviors that visitors can watch up close.
The grounds offer accessible paths to most enclosures and well-marked routes that lead through the different areas. A visit typically lasts several hours, and there are rest areas as well as a museum shop with exhibits.
Researchers conduct daily studies on social interactions while visitors observe the animals through specially designed viewing areas that connect scientific work with public participation. Some enclosures allow seeing group dynamics that are rarely shown in other zoos.
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