zoo Saikai, JP
NAGASAKI BIO PARK
Around twenty capybaras roaming loose on a Kyushu hillside, and in midwinter they get a hot spring. Closer to a walk-through than a zoo.
Plan your visit
- Type
- zoo
- Hours
-
The capybara onsen runs roughly December to February. The free-roaming access is year-round. We could not confirm current admission from source, so treat the details here as orientation.
- Cost
- Not confirmed from source. General park admission with no capybara-specific upcharge reported.
- Best time
- December to February for the onsen; year-round for the animals
Unconfirmed We could not fully confirm the details here. Treat everything as a lead and check the official site before you go.
The one where the capybaras are not behind anything.
Twenty of them, loose
Nagasaki Bio Park's whole design principle is minimal barriers, and the capybara group — reported at around twenty animals — moves freely through the visitor area rather than sitting in an enclosure you look into. That is a materially different proposition from a booked twenty-minute session, and it is the reason this park keeps coming up in Japanese capybara guides.
In midwinter they add the onsen. Japan's capybara hot spring tradition started at Izu Shaboten in the 1980s and has since spread across the country; Nagasaki's version runs roughly December to February.
How it compares to Izu Shaboten
Izu Shaboten, already in this directory, is the original and the famous one — and it is a viewing experience. Nagasaki is the one where the animals are among you.
Kyushu is also a long way from the Tokyo circuit. If you are doing Japan's capybara venues as a trip rather than a stop, this and Aso Farm Land in Kumamoto sit together in the south.
Marked unverified
We could not read current admission prices, hours or the exact onsen dates off the park's own pages from here, and the capybara count comes from Japanese travel coverage rather than the operator.
The park plainly exists and the capybaras plainly do too. The numbers are the part to check.
Good to know
- The capybaras roam the visitor area rather than sitting behind a barrier.
- The winter onsen runs roughly December to February. Outside that you still get the animals.
- Kyushu, not the Tokyo circuit. Pair it with Aso Farm Land if you are travelling for this.
- Marked unverified — the venue is certain, the current prices and dates are not.
Published on September 2, 2026 By Grumpy Capy
FAQ
Can you touch the capybaras at Nagasaki Bio Park?
The park is built around minimal barriers and the capybara group moves through the visitor area, so contact is realistic in a way it is not at most zoos. Follow whatever the staff tell you on the day.
When is the capybara hot spring?
Roughly December to February. The exact dates change year to year and are worth confirming with the park.
Is this the famous capybara onsen?
No, that is Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka, which started the tradition and is also listed here. Nagasaki is one of several parks that adopted it.
Details change – always confirm hours, prices, and booking on the official site before you travel. Animal encounters are subject to each venue's welfare rules.
