Aso Cuddly Dominion, A Bear-Focused Park in Aso City

People and management

Aso Cuddly Dominion (阿蘇カドリー・ドミニオン) is maintained by on-site animal care staff that include a resident veterinarian and a team of trainers and performers. Since 2004 the park has had an exclusive relationship with the performance troupe Miyazawa Theatre, led by Atsushi Miyazawa, whose acts — notably a chimpanzee-and-dog duo — have been central to the park’s public presence. The park’s operations encountered financial strain after a 2012 incident in which an animal injured a staff member and the widespread disruption that followed the 2014 eruption of Mount Aso; on 25 March 2016 the facility sought support from the Regional Economy Vitalization Corporation, and Kumamoto Bank together with the Stargate Hotel (headquartered in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture) became sponsors to pursue management rehabilitation.

Origins and the name

The park opened in July 1973 as a bear-focused attraction originally called Aso Bear Ranch. The founding project was started on a former quarry site in Aso; during construction in 1972–73 the oil shock caused material shortages and delayed the opening by about two months. In 1979 the park added a central memorial area called the Juunishi-en (a twelve-animal enclosure and shrine), created both as a place of memorial for animals and as a remembrance for wartime victims associated with the founder’s history; the Juunishi-en prompted the park to add species beyond bears. In March 1998 the facility name was changed to Aso Cuddly Dominion. The English words the name combines — “cuddly” and “dominion” — are used to convey “a place with many animals you would want to embrace.”

Animals, hands-on experiences and welfare

The park’s collection totals about 800 individual animals representing 100 species; roughly 200 of those animals are bears, representing seven bear species from around the world. The park has long emphasised close contact: it offers supervised opportunities to hold and touch young animals, including the ability to place bear cubs on a visitor’s lap, and some species can be fed by visitors. As of 2012 the collection included approximately 60 dogs across 25 breeds and 28 cats across 16 breeds, alongside emus, cattle, goats, horses, snakes, capybaras, rabbits, ducks and other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. A plaza inside the facility is designed for visitors with pets to use, reflecting a policy change from the park’s early years when pets were not admitted. The park also keeps a veterinarian on staff and states that animal welfare is taken into consideration in its operations. Locally produced tomatoes from Aso form part of the animals’ feed.

Shows, notable performers and facilities

Live animal shows are staged in the park’s performance spaces, and the Miyazawa Theatre (opened 17 July 2004) has been a major venue for those acts. The chimpanzee Pan and his bulldog co-star James have appeared on national television and served as the park’s well-known performers; the park displays Pan and James in its signage and merchandise. A screening space opened in 2011 called the Cuddly Theatre to show Miyazawa Theatre productions, though that theatre was reported closed as of 2021. A food outlet introduced in 2008 sold a “Pan-kun Burger” featuring a 120-gram, 100% beef patty; a second shop opened in September 2009, and the park reported that the burger was its top-selling item at the time; fast-food outlets were closed as of 2021.

Other facilities include Bear Valley (whose glass bridge and “bear cave” opened in March 2011), the Chimpanzee Learning Forest (opened autumn 2007 and home to Pan and Poko), a dog-oriented area, a hands-on animal village, a cubs area, a children’s play area, pony riding, animal races including mini-pig races, the Juunishi-en, and a dog-run area. The park has a heliport on site and for many years offered helicopter sightseeing flights over Mount Aso; those flights were operated first by S.G.C. Saga Aviation (Saga City) and later by Takumi Aviation (Okayama City). In January 2026 a helicopter crashed near the crater wall of Aso’s Nakadake and three crew or passengers were reported missing; the park’s heliport and the helicopter sightseeing programme had been linked to these operations.

Special projects, past exhibits and memorable animals

The park has staged distinct short-term projects and exhibits. Between 21 April and 4 November 2001 the park exhibited five Sumatran elephants on loan from Indonesia; visitors could ride the elephants and the exhibit operated as part of a “save the Sumatran elephant” project whose proceeds were directed to conservation. A planned return of elephants in 2003 was halted after an animal-welfare organisation (ALIVE) found irregularities in import documents and the relevant ministry revoked the import permission.

Individual animals have also attracted attention. A male polar bear known as Tōchan was reported as the oldest domestic male polar bear at the time of his death on 3 October 2010 at an estimated 30–31 years old; his partner Kaa-chan, five years younger, was reported to have recovered her condition after Tōchan’s death but later died on 9 February 2016. An alpaca named Chao was the subject of park events and games in 2013, and sired the park’s first in‑park alpaca birth on 22 August 2015; the foal was named “Heart” by public ballot. A second Chao offspring, a male called Ace, was born on 11 August 2021; the park kept four alpacas following these births. On another occasion a female dog in the park reportedly raised an abandoned tiger cub.

Getting there

By rail, take the JR Kyushu Hohi Main Line to Aso Station; the park is a 20-minute walk from Aso Station (approximately 1.6 km). By road, from the Kyushu Expressway take the Kumamoto interchange and follow National Route 57 toward Aso for about 33 km. Regular bus services connect the park: the express “Yamabiko” service from Kumamoto Station, Sakuramachi Bus Terminal and Kumamoto Airport (operated by Kyushu Sanko Bus and Oita Bus, and also serving Oita City) stops at the “Cuddly Dominion-mae” stop; from Aso Station, take a Kyushu Sanko Bus bound for Uchinomaki via the Otohime intersection and alight at the same stop.

FAQ

What is Aso Cuddly Dominion?

A bear-centred animal park in Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

How many animals and species does the park hold?

The park houses about 800 animals across 100 species, including roughly 200 bears representing seven bear species.

Who are Pan-kun and James?

Pan-kun is a chimpanzee and James is a bulldog who performed together in the park’s shows and appeared on national television.

When did the park first open?

The facility opened in July 1973 as Aso Bear Ranch.