{
  "id": "asahiyama-zoo",
  "name": "Asahiyama Zoo",
  "area": "Asahikawa",
  "status": "recommended",
  "priority": "high",
  "tags": [
    "Wildlife",
    "Walking"
  ],
  "summary": "A worthwhile Furano day trip for animal observation, with distinctive swimming exhibits and summer orangutan climbing. Allow for hillside walking; the penguin walk is a winter attraction, not a summer offering. [S5][S6][S7][S8][S9]",
  "why_go": "Watch penguins swim above a 360-degree underwater tunnel, seals move through a cylindrical Marine Way tank, and polar bears use swimming and terrestrial enclosures. Summer also brings the opportunity to observe orangutans crossing between their housing and a 17-meter tower. These are opportunities to observe behavior, not guaranteed performances. [S6][S7][S8][S9]",
  "season": {
    "late_june": "Recommended for a flexible weekday visit. The zoo's appeal does not depend on lavender flowering; published 2027 summer opening covers this period. [S1]",
    "july": "The same core visit remains appropriate. Recommend allowing additional road and queue buffers and choosing a comfortable forecast rather than pursuing a particular calendar date.",
    "early_august": "Normal daytime visiting applies during the first week. The municipal calendar explicitly publishes August 10-16, 2027 extended opening, 09:30-21:00, last admission 20:00; this is not an extrapolation from 2026 and may fall after your stay. [S1]",
    "best_window": "Recommendation: a weekday with moderate temperatures and little heavy rain anywhere in your stay. No particular animal activity or weather is guaranteed."
  },
  "visit_duration": "The zoo suggests approximately three hours, longer with breaks on its hillside. Plan four to five hours for unhurried exhibits, lunch and queues, excluding driving. [S5]",
  "drive_from_furano": "Planning estimate from central Furano: approximately 75-90 minutes each way in normal summer traffic. The zoo publishes 57.2 km and about 75 minutes from Furano City, using Route 237 and prefectural roads 68/37. Add a recommended 20-30-minute peak-season buffer, plus parking and walking time; this is not live routing. [S3]",
  "best_time_of_day": "Aim to be ready for the published 09:30 opening; arriving slightly earlier is for parking and queuing, not early admission. [S1]",
  "visit_plan": [
    "Choose a parking gate before navigating, bring everything needed from the car, and check the day's keeper-guide notices on entry. Re-entry is normally prohibited. [S3][S4][S5]",
    "Prioritize the penguin tunnel, seal Marine Way and polar-bear viewing areas, adjusting the order to queues. [S6][S7][S9]",
    "Continue toward the orangutan exhibit for summer climbing opportunities; avoid treating tower crossings as scheduled shows. [S8]",
    "Take a food or rest break, then complete a manageable circuit. The zoo recommends counterclockwise touring from any gate; animals may leave display before closing. [S5]"
  ],
  "practicalities": [
    {
      "label": "Hours and season",
      "text": "Published 2027 calendar: April 29-October 15, 09:30-17:15, last admission 16:00; October 16-November 3 closes at 16:30. August 10-16 has the separately published evening extension. Recheck before visiting. [S1]"
    },
    {
      "label": "Costs",
      "text": "Current ordinary adult admission is JPY 1,000, but the announced rate from April 29, 2027 is JPY 1,400. The zoo annual passport becomes JPY 1,600, worth considering if planning a second visit. Junior-high-school age and younger remain free; no traveler age is assumed. [S2]"
    },
    {
      "label": "Parking and access",
      "text": "Current municipal parking is free: approximately 200 spaces at Main Gate and 300 at East Gate. Main Gate is the endpoint of the zoo's published Furano approach. Private lots around Main/West gates include free and paid parking, currently capped at JPY 500/day. East Gate has an internal shuttle connection; neither parking choice makes the hillside zoo flat. [S3][S4][S5]"
    },
    {
      "label": "Facilities and accessibility",
      "text": "Food outlets, rest areas, drinking fountains and numerous accessible toilets are listed, with specific toilet exceptions. Summer wheelchair/electric-cart loans and Main/East mobility-priority parking are first-come, not reservable. A free East Gate-to-spider-monkey/capybara-house shuttle runs approximately every ten minutes, weather permitting. Confirm boarding accessibility and suitable gradients with staff. [S4]"
    },
    {
      "label": "Reservations",
      "text": "Ordinary tickets can be purchased at the gate; advance web/convenience-store tickets are optional and do not reserve admission. Normal re-entry is not permitted. Bring your lunch, medication and weather gear before entering. [S4][S5]"
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    "Choose a weekday opening-time arrival and leave the afternoon flexible.",
    "Use the day's keeper-guide board rather than assuming fixed feeding times. [S4]",
    "Plan the return to your parked car, including hills; confirm shuttle operation before relying on it. [S4][S5]",
    "Carry a refillable bottle and take shaded or sheltered breaks; drinking fountains are available. [S4]",
    "Bring a picnic if preferred: outside food is permitted in rest areas and outdoors, avoiding an exit for lunch. [S5]"
  ],
  "weather_plan": "Light rain can work with sheltered penguin/seal viewing and rest breaks, but this is not an entirely indoor destination. Free loan umbrellas are first-come. Move the visit to another day for persistent heavy rain or uncomfortable heat. [S4][S6][S7]",
  "safety_and_etiquette": [
    "Wear secure footwear and pace the hillside walking; accessible facilities do not imply an entirely level circuit. [S5]",
    "Do not feed or startle animals, cross barriers, use flash toward animals, or fly drones. [S4]",
    "Expect animal-health or weather-related display changes and early exhibit finishes. [S5]"
  ],
  "pair_with": [
    "Furano Marche"
  ],
  "skip_if": "Skip if captive-animal attractions do not appeal, or if you want a short outing with little walking rather than a substantial day trip.",
  "recheck_for_2027": [
    "Published opening calendar, any exceptional closures, and August evening-opening arrangements.",
    "Animal-display notices and the day's keeper-guide schedule.",
    "Parking availability, shuttle operation, mobility equipment and suitable accessible routes.",
    "Ticket prices and annual-pass terms before purchase."
  ],
  "confidence_notes": [
    "2027 normal and special hours were verified in the municipal calendar's raw HTML; simplified extraction omitted those tables. The fee increase has a separate official announcement.",
    "Penguin walking requires accumulated snow, typically late December to mid-March, and is explicitly excluded from this summer plan. [S5][S6]",
    "Exact gate elevations, route gradients and wheelchair boarding arrangements were not established. Animal visibility and 2027 daily programming remain variable."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "S1",
      "title": "Events and opening calendar",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/event/event.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Explicitly labeled 2027 normal hours and August 10-16 extended opening; verified in raw HTML."
    },
    {
      "id": "S2",
      "title": "Admission price revision from summer 2027",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/news-blog/osirase/d084291.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Current and announced April 29, 2027 admission and annual-pass prices."
    },
    {
      "id": "S3",
      "title": "Access and parking",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/generalinformation/d053767.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Furano route, indicative distance/time, municipal parking capacities and private parking."
    },
    {
      "id": "S4",
      "title": "Visitor facilities, services and rules",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/generalinformation/d053773.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Accessibility services, toilets, food facilities, shuttle, umbrellas, rules and no re-entry."
    },
    {
      "id": "S5",
      "title": "Frequently asked questions",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/generalinformation/d075901.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Three-hour estimate, hillside terrain, counterclockwise circuit, winter penguin walk, ticketing, picnic permission and variable displays."
    },
    {
      "id": "S6",
      "title": "Penguin House",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/facilityinformation/d055082.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Underwater tunnel and snow-season-only penguin walking."
    },
    {
      "id": "S7",
      "title": "Seal House",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/facilityinformation/d055081.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Marine Way cylindrical tank and swimming observation."
    },
    {
      "id": "S8",
      "title": "Orangutan House",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/facilityinformation/d055084.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Summer outdoor climbing and 17-meter tower."
    },
    {
      "id": "S9",
      "title": "Polar Bear House",
      "publisher": "Asahikawa City, Asahiyama Zoo",
      "url": "https://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/asahiyamazoo/facilityinformation/p008551.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-26",
      "supports": "Swimming pool, terrestrial exhibit and viewing arrangements."
    }
  ]
}