ABOUT
About this spot
At the foot of Mt. Takasaki on the border of Oita and Beppu, Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden is a place where wild Japanese macaques come down from the mountain to an open feeding ground. The animals are not caged; visitors come to watch troops that live in the forest. It is managed and run by the Oita City Takasakiyama Management Corporation.
It began in 1952, when Oita's mayor Ueda Tamotsu, troubled by crop damage, chose to feed the monkeys and turn them into a tourist attraction instead of culling them. It opened in March 1953 with a troop of about 220. The monkeys' habitat was designated a National Natural Monument that year, and Hino Ashihei's novel serialised in 1955 made it famous nationwide.
Today two troops, B and C, appear at different times, with feeding at the top and half past each hour. Numbers once passed 2,000 and are now kept lower by feeding less; the official site listed 760 monkeys (514 in B, 246 in C) in December 2025. The top-ranking male, once called the "boss monkey", is now officially called "No. 1". The skeleton of Jupiter, first alpha male of the old A troop, is shown for free at the Osaru-kan building. Since 1984 the first baby born each year has been named after events of the year, such as "Kizuna" and "Reiwa".
A slope car, Sarukko Rail, takes about four minutes from the entrance to the feeding ground. The park is open 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30), and admission is free on the third Saturday of November.
Troops do not always appear, so check the official site's "monkeys present" notice. Allow one to two hours. The Oita Marine Palace Aquarium "Umitamago" is nearby and shares the car park. By bus, get off at "Takasakiyama" on an Oita Kotsu bus (about 15 minutes from JR Beppu Station).
Last updated November 1, 2026