Maruyama Zoo 札幌市円山動物園

Hokkaido's first zoo, opened on Children's Day in 1951 (Showa 26), located close to the city center. Home to approximately 170 species and 900 animals, including brown bears — a symbol of Hokkaido — as well as polar bears, Asian elephants, chimpanzees, and Arctic wolves. Welcoming around 800,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most popular zoos in Hokkaido.

The facilities are impressively designed: at the Polar Bear House, an underwater tunnel allows visitors to watch bears swimming with power and grace at close range; the Elephant House features Japan's first indoor pool where Asian elephants can be observed entering the water. Much of the zoo is set up for indoor viewing, making it comfortable and enjoyable even during Hokkaido's cold winters or rainy days. The sheer proximity to the animals — separated only by glass — is one of Maruyama Zoo's defining appeals.

The zoo adjoins Maruyama Park and Hokkaido Shrine, set within a lush and accessible natural landscape. It is reachable by bus from Maruyama Koen Station on the Sapporo Subway Tozai Line, and draws visitors of all kinds throughout the year.