20251229 - place accessible by bus. Got ticket with 20 percent discount with the Okuhida Marugoto Value Ticket. Though place is not huge, it houses a lot of japanese black bears. You can get cookies for 100 yen at vending machine or apples at vendor just beside park to throw and feed the bears. Some bears will stand and wave at you for food. It was adorable!. I jist hope though that the place can be larger for them to roam more freely.
Do not come to this place!! It’s animal cruelty. The bears are kept in small cages filled with their own feces. They are forced to perform like circus animals and fight each other because there are far too many bears kept together in one place. We thought it was a nice sanctuary for the bears, but we were very wrong.
This bear farm is very suitable for families with children. The bears are very cute, and kids especially love the experience of feeding them. A box of bear food costs only 100 JPY, which is a great price and makes the visit even more fun and interactive. The farm is also close to the ski resort, so it’s easy to stop by. Definitely a must-visit when you are in the Hida area!
The bears live in tiny, bare concrete pits with no shade, no trees, no grass, nothing natural at all. Just hard grey walls and floors. They have access to water, but that is the only basic need being met. The animals have nowhere to shelter from blazing sun or pouring rain, and there is absolutely nothing to stimulate them — no rocks, no logs, no hiding spaces, no enrichment toys, nothing that resembles a life worth living.
Most heartbreaking of all, the adult bears have clearly been conditioned to beg for food from tourists. Many stand upright and “perform” because they’ve learned they get fed this way.
The baby bears are kept in claustrophobic concrete boxes built into a wall, and they reach their tiny paws out through openings as if desperately searching for comfort or freedom. It was shocking to witness.
There is also an option to take photos with a cub, which I refused. The cub being handled when I visited was clearly distressed — it screamed and struggled every time the keeper forced it onto the laps of tourists.
What makes this all even more tragic is that the ranch is located in a stunning mountainous region — a place that could easily provide a natural habitat. Instead, these bears are kept as prisoners in cramped cages, exploited their entire lives. The facility even sells bear oil, which raises serious concerns about how these animals are used once they are no longer profitable.
This is not an educational facility or a sanctuary. It is systematic animal cruelty. These intelligent, sensitive creatures live their entire lives without space, without stimulation, without dignity.
Please, for the sake of these animals, do not support this place. Tra
The bear ranch is not totally well maintain but overall the experience is good. Bears will stand up and wave at you for food. Entrance fees is reasonable and affordable too.
