Aso Cuddly Dominion
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Cute animals | Cages animals |
| Helicopter ride | Mainly for kids |
Aso is famous for it’s bear park however the facility has expanded the experience over the years to include all sorts of cuddly animals experiences. The bears are still the main draw however and there are plenty of YouTube videos attesting to that.
The park is a short bus ride from Aso station or a 30 minute walk. To get to the Cuddly Dominion directly you can use the Yamabiko bus that goes between Kumamoto and Oita. For other buses check the Kyushu Bus homepage. Kyushu is not famous for its regular bus services so planning ahead is advised (or hiring a car – everywhere has parking in Kyushu).
Bears in cages not your thing?
About half the English reviews on Tripadvisor are people appalled at the conditions the bears are kept in (the glowing Japanese reviews keep the average score high). Certainly, the concrete landscape the bears are kept in isn’t ideal. Other animals seem better treated and are mostly allowed to roam freely and mix with visitors (the less dangerous animals at least).
The park is great for kids as most of the animals can be interacted with in some way. The pig racing is adorable and there are areas where you can play with puppies, pose with baby bears and pet an aggressive emu (could be an ostrich? either way, don’t go near without a handler unless you want a beak in the face).
Helicopter Ride
There is a helicopter ride (scroll down that page for English details) over Mount Aso taking off from the Cuddly Dominion. You cannot book in advance, even in Japanese, so arrive on the day and book your slot as soon as you can. Due to the eruptions the last few years the rope-way to the top of Mount Aso is suspended for repairs (current estimate is 2020 assuming no further eruptions). There is a bus service however when the volcano is at Level 2 alert (restricted entry up to 1km) the bus service also is suspended. Therefore viewing the summit is often only possible by helicopter (assuming no active eruption otherwise the helicopter is also suspended).
