It’s no secret that I am obsessed with safaris. I love animals. I love nature. Seeing animals IN their natural habitat is something of a perfect fit, and we even have a separate savings account dedicated toward going on an African safari, one small weekly deposit at a time.

So when I learned there was an animal park here in Japan near Mt. Fuji called the Fuji Safari Park, I quickly booked a trip for myself and my two-year-old.

It quickly became one of my favorite tours for kids we’ve done in Japan.

There were bears.

And lions.

 

And tigers. Oh my!

My son was FASCINATED. We loved every second of seeing the animals, and this is one of the first parks we’d visited in Asia where I felt the animals had adequate room to roam.

When we arrived, we headed straight for the safari walking trail. I left my stroller behind out of necessity, only to find that my toddler definitely wanted to be carried the majority of the trail – no small feat at seven months pregnant (at the time). But we (mostly) made it!

Animals roamed through the mist completely oblivious to the cars & buses passing by.

We even caught a glimpse of this very rare kangaroo and her adorable joey!

Best of all was the ability to get up close with animals we never would have experienced like this in the States – the kangaroos.

Sometimes we got a little *too* close!

We took a little break to bet on the ponies.

My son called the winner! Next time we’ll put money on his guess!

Our final stop was on the Rhino Bus my son couldn’t stop talking about for weeks afterward.

All sorts of animals came up to visit the bus…

…because we have snacks! It was such a neat opportunity to see these incredible animals up close and give them their food.

To get the most out of Fuji Safari Park, visit on a warm, clear day. The walking trail was very doable with small children as long as you’re willing to carry them for a bit if they get tired – but its views of the animals in their habitats shouldn’t be missed. We LOVED the opportunity to feed the lions and bears – make sure that part of the park is on your must-do list! For more information & tickets, visit their website here: http://www.fujisafari.co.jp/english/