I can’t quite remember when my love for capybaras began, but once I discovered them, I was obsessed! I’ve always been drawn to small, furry mammals—having had guinea pigs and rabbits as pets growing up.
So, when I learned about capybaras (essentially giant guinea pigs), you can bet I was willing to travel half way around the world to Izu Shaboten Zoo in Japan to pat one.
Although capybaras are technically native to South America, Japan seems to have an undeniable affection for them. Izu Shaboten Zoo is famous for its Capybara Outdoor Bath, where these adorable giant rodents enjoy daily soaks in hot spring water during winter.
Unfortunately, I visited just a week too early, so no capybara onsen for me. The weather was pretty miserable on the day I visited, so I guess the capybaras were more or less soaked—but in rainwater instead.
How to get to Izu Shaboten Zoo?
Izu Shaboten Zoo is located in Shizuoka Prefecture, right next to Mount Omuro. We took the Odoriko limited express train (run by JR East) from Yokohama Station to Izu-Kōgen Station—a journey of just under two hours.
If you’re starting in Tokyo, you can catch the same train from Tokyo Station. Train tickets can be easily purchased online in advance and collected from the ticket machine at the station before boarding.
From Izu-Kōgen Station, we hopped on a local Tokai Bus, which took about 25 minutes to reach the zoo. You can also catch a bus at Ito Station but the trip is slightly longer. There’s no need to prebook—just tap your Suica card when you board.
Conveniently, the bus drops you right at the entrance of the zoo and Mount Omuro. If you’re planning on taking the bus back to town post-capybara shenanigans, I recommend taking a photo of the bus timetable at the bus stop before you go in.
They have lockers at the zoo
One thing that I love about Japan is that there are coin lockers almost everywhere. These come in handy when you’re carrying a backpack full of stuff.
From the bus stop, you have to walk about 5 minutes to the actual entrance of the zoo. The first building you come upon will have lockers but we later found out that they also have lockers at the ticket counter area of the zoo entrance.
We ended up just using the lockers at the front and it worked out well, as when we were leaving, we could conveniently pick up our bags and run to the bus stop. We were cutting it close but made it!
The capybara open-range area
Without a doubt, this was my favourite part of Izu Shaboten Zoo and I didn’t want to leave it. I could spend an entire day with the capybaras!
But wait, there’s more capybaras at Izu Shaboten Zoo!
As we moved on from my dream space, we came upon the open-air bath with another family of capybaras! This area wasn’t an interaction area but it was so wholesome to see one capy chilling in the bath.
Lots of other animals and exhibits
There was a great variety of animals at the zoo, and I was surprised by how large it actually was.
Most of the animals seemed well cared for, though, like in most zoos, there were areas where the animals’ spaces were smaller than ideal. I sometimes have ethical dilemmas when visiting zoos, but this one felt okay.
Here are a few snapshots of some of my highlights from the zoo:
Red Panda
Ring-tailed Lemur
Llamas
Maras
White Swans
Peacock
Crowned Crane
And they have a cactus enclosure too!
Final thoughts
If you love capybaras, a visit to Izu Shaboten Zoo is a must! While capybara cafes are popular in Japan, I highly recommend making the effort to visit here instead, where the capybaras can roam freely and are surrounded by their families.
The Izu Peninsula itself is a beautiful area, and I’d suggest staying for a few nights. We only had one day to explore, but I’ll definitely be back to discover more of the area!
