Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden
Where wild Japanese macaques descend the mountain to meet you
Tucked on the forested slopes of Mount Takasaki between Beppu and central Oita City, Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden offers something genuinely rare: an encounter with wild Japanese macaques on their own terms. Two troops (numbering around 760 animals in total) come down to the feeding grounds each day, and knowledgeable staff track individual monkeys and the intricate social hierarchies that govern troop life. A small monorail, the Sarukko Rail, carries visitors up the slope, making the approach as charming as the destination itself.
When to go
The garden is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm, so arriving early in the morning gives you the quietest experience before day-trippers from Beppu arrive. The macaques are present year-round, though cooler months tend to bring the troops closer and lower down the hillside, rewarding patient visitors with particularly close observation.