About the Park

Hello, fellow travelers!
It’s Sunny 🐩, your SaruKuma writer.

Today I’m taking you to one of Kumamoto’s most beloved animal attractions —

a place full of bears and home to Pan-kun, the chimpanzee made famous by Japanese TV — Cuddly Dominion (カドリードミニオン)!

Pretty much every Kumamoto local knows this spot ♪

Even I, who didn’t grow up in Kumamoto, somehow knew it (lol).

Since the Northern Recovery Road opened, getting there from central Kumamoto City has become much faster (^^)

There’s plenty of parking, but my recommendation is Parking Lot C! It’s the closest to the entrance ♪
There are restrooms right next to the parking area, including a diaper-changing station — perfect for getting little ones ready before you head in (^^)

Strollers and wheelchairs are usually available to borrow at the entrance.
Here’s the price list.

Compared to other Kumamoto spots like the City Zoo or Aso Milk Farm, the entrance fee feels a bit steep, so we put off going for a long time… but once we finally went, our family was hooked (lol)!

Be sure to check the official website — there are all kinds of discount coupons available ♪

Aso Milk Farm: A Hands-On Petting Farm with Tons of Animals (Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto)

Kumamoto City Zoo & Botanical Garden: Spot the One Piece Chopper Statue! (Kengun, Higashi Ward, Kumamoto City)

Visit during your birthday month and admission is half price!Now, let’s go inside! ♪

Here’s the park map.

If you think it’s just bears and chimpanzees — think again!
(I always assumed it was just bears, lol www)

There are way more animals than I can fit into one article (^^)

That said — Cuddly Dominion is famous for its bears, after all www

A bear taking a bath A bear begging for snacks A bear sunbathing Bears right up close!

Even my kid, who’d never been into bears before, came home from her first visit declaring “bears are my favorite animal!” They’re so charming and adorable ♡ You can buy all sorts of bear snacks to feed them.

The meat options look fun, but our family always goes for the giant bag of bread — quantity over quality (^^)

A whole roasted chicken… you can see the little feet sticking out www
For ¥500 per family, you can have a hands-on encounter with a bear cub and snap a photo holding it ♪

You can even step inside a bear hibernation cave — grrrr! (lol)

I can’t introduce them all individually, so here’s a quick rundown of some of the animals you can interact with ♪

Lots of friendly dogs ♪ Penguin feeding experience (¥500)Parrots and parakeets — if you’re lucky, one might even perch on your arm ♪Unlimited goat petting (^^)

Fluffy alpacas ♪ You can even pet hedgehogs! ☆And these capybaras are unbelievably cute ♡

Rub their bellies and they’ll roll over in pure bliss.

Highlights & Recommendations

I really struggled to pick favorites… so I gave up (lol).

Instead, here’s the Top 3 of Cuddly Dominion chosen by my own kids.

3rd Place The Pig RacePick a colored pig you think will win and place a vote (¥500). You’ll get a mini mascot as a souvenir. Of course, you can also just watch for free 👍
The crowd really gets into it — it’s surprisingly thrilling (^^) And look — two of us picked the winner! The prize is your choice of plush toy ♪

2nd Place Snake Encounters (^^) Once a day, there’s a chance to handle a real snake. For my kids, this was basically the entire reason for the visit (lol)
The snake really is adorable, but the way my kids cuddle it… (-_-;)

They treat it like a puppy (lol). They just can’t get enough.

1st Place

The Animal Shows! ☆
Miyazawa Theater
This is the famous show featuring trainer Miyazawa-san and Purin-chan the chimpanzee. The storyline is hilarious, and the acting from both the animals and the keepers is genuinely impressive (^^)

It’s easy to see why this show is so popular — the quality is top-notch.

The kids absolutely loved it ♪
Photos aren’t allowed during the show, which is a shame, but it’s 100% worth seeing in person ♪This one is the dog and bird show. Big birds soar right over your head — the kids were over the moon (^^)

The family-friendly facilities here are seriously well-thought-out ♪ Restrooms and nursing rooms are everywhere.

Vending machines are plentiful too.Tables and benches are scattered throughout, so you can rest whenever your feet need a break (^^)

Bringing a bento box for a picnic is also a great option.

There are covered seating areas as well as grassy spots where you can lay out a picnic blanket ♪
Hand-washing stations are everywhere too. There’s one designated smoking area.

Dogs are welcome in the park, and there’s even a dog run on site.

For shows and other dog-restricted areas, there’s a dog daycare service you can use.There are two restaurants/cafés on site. The souvenir shop near the entrance carries exclusive items you can only get here.The arcade has exclusive purikura (Japanese photo booths) you can’t take anywhere else.
A perfect souvenir of your trip!

And there are still so many more animals I couldn’t fit into this article!

Be sure to visit Cuddly Dominion for yourself.

You’ll easily fill an entire day from morning to evening ♪

Visitor Information

Frequently Asked Questions

※Information accurate at the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please verify before your visit.