Osaka Tennoji Zoo, Japan (2018)

大阪天王寺動物園てんのうじどうぶつえん

White Bear Curry Rice served at Osaka Tennoji Zoo.

Kumamoto Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Japan (2018)

熊本市動植物園

Kōbe Ōji Zoo, Japan (2018)

神戶王子動物園

Himeji City Zoo, Japan (2018)

姫路市立動物園

Bitten barrel at Himeji City Zoo.

Hamamatsu Municipal Zoo, Japan (2018)

浜松市動物園

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya, Japan (2018)

名古屋東山動植物園

The bear in this photo is Sasquatch, probably born in the wild in 1990 and brought to Nagoya as a cub. He was Japan’s oldest male polar bear. During humid summers, his fur often turned green due to algae in the water. His outdated enclosure, painted white to mimic the Arctic, lacked soft substrate, and the concrete flooring was unsuitable for his needs. Additionally, noise levels from visitors are also disturbingly high. Sasquatch passed away in May 2020 due to liver failure. Since 2023, Higashiyama Zoo has housed another polar bear, Fubuki.

—

Sasquatch ♂–†: *probably 1990 (wild Canada) —†2020 Nagoya

Yokohama Zoo ''Zoorasia'', Japan (2018)

橫浜Zoorasia (ズーラシア)

Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo, Japan (2018)

静岡市立日本平動物園

Oga Aquarium GAO, Japan (2018)

男鹿水族館GAO

Posters displayed in Oga Aquarium GAO. These posters discussed the status of polar bears in captivity, and described the design of the enclosure. It also expressed a degree of self criticism. These meta-captivity discussions are rare among all institutions visited.

Asahiyama Zoo, Japan (2018)

旭川市旭山動物園

Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, Japan (2018)

札幌市円山動物園

In 2018, new polar bear enclosure opens at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, called the "Polar Bear Museum," cost €17 million (2.3 billion yen). The exhibit includes a main enclosure of 1,400 m² with a 150 m² pool. The exhibit is an improvement over the previous design, but remains relatively small in modern standard. Located in Hokkaido, the zoo benefits from a colder climate, more suited to polar bears. Maruyama Zoo actively participates in breeding programs and research, but concerns about enclosure size persist. Further expansions and naturalistic elements could improve the bears’ living conditions.

—

Lara ♀: *1994 Beppu

Lila ♀: *2014 Sapporo

Sculptures at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo

Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo, Japan (2018)

東京恩賜上野動物園

Map of polar bears in captivity, Japan (2018).

Red pins are sites visited.

JR Rail Pass

JR train tickets

Collected tickets and brochures.

White Bear: Japan (2018)

Osaka Tennōji Zoo

Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Kōbe Ōji Zoo

Himeji City Zoo

Hamamatsu Municipal Zoo

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya

Zoorasia (ズーラシア), Yokohama

Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo

Oga Aquarium GAO

Asahiyama Zoo, Asahikawa, Hokkaidō

Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, Hokkaidō

Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo