Experience Animals at “Zero Distance”
One of Neo Park Okinawa’s defining features is its use of a large-scale flying-cage system. Instead of keeping birds and other animals in small individual enclosures, huge netted spaces allow them to move around much more freely.
This creates an unusual experience in which visitors can encounter animals at remarkably close range and observe natural behaviors that are difficult to see in conventional zoos. Birds may fly overhead, animals may cross the walking paths, and visitors can sometimes find wildlife only a few steps away.
The park’s approximately 1-kilometer walking route takes visitors through environments inspired by different parts of the world, allowing them to explore the park while encountering animals and plants along the way.
A Park Designed Around Regional Ecosystems
Neo Park Okinawa was created around the philosophy of its first director, the late Norio Kondo, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of Agriculture, who wanted visitors to experience the coexistence of people, animals, and plants.
The park does not simply collect rare or beautiful species. Instead, animals and plants are arranged as much as possible according to their geographical origins, creating environments that help visitors understand how different regions of the world have developed their own distinctive ecosystems.
The park also includes areas inspired by African savannas and drylands, Madagascar, grasslands, and other environments. Rare species are protected and bred at the International Species Conservation Research Center, while plants that are useful to people or may have value as future resources are also cultivated.
Visitors can also encounter beautiful butterflies familiar to Okinawa, including the large tree nymph, Ryukyu blue tiger, and orange-red swallowtail, among plants that provide food for these butterflies.
What Does “NEO PARK” Mean?
The name NEO PARK reflects three concepts: Nature, Environment, and Oasis. Together, these ideas express the park’s goal of creating a place where visitors can relax while learning about the natural world and the relationship between people, animals, and plants.
Highlights and Main Areas
Sand Cat Desert
The Sand Cat Desert is home to sand cats, small wild cats adapted to the dry regions of North Africa and Asia. Although they are often seen curled up asleep, they can also suddenly become remarkably active, using their flexible bodies to climb to high points in their enclosure.
Often nicknamed the “angel of the desert” because of their adorable appearance, sand cats also possess a distinctly wild side. Watching them move and explore is a fascinating contrast to their cute, almost plush-toy-like appearance.
Lake Thoth
Lake Thoth is an African-inspired area modeled on Lake Nakuru in Kenya. Within the large flying cage, birds can fly freely through the space and live in surroundings designed to resemble their natural environment.
Depending on the season, visitors may even see birds building nests high in the trees and raising their young. The many different calls echoing through the enclosure make it worth slowing down and simply listening.
Visitors can also enjoy an animal-feeding experience for birds in this area. You can offer treats to birds such as the African sacred ibis and watch them at close range.
Amazon Jungle
After passing through a dark tunnel, visitors emerge into the Amazon Jungle, an area recreating the atmosphere of a South American tropical rainforest.
A viewing area at the top of a staircase provides a broad view of the enclosure where South American tapirs live. Another highlight is the huge arapaima, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, which can be seen swimming through an underwater viewing tunnel.
Look carefully for brightly colored birds such as scarlet ibises and roseate spoonbills. In the adjoining jungle area, you may also encounter magnificent blue-and-yellow macaws and agile common squirrel monkeys.
Petting Zoo Area
The Petting Zoo Area is a popular place for families to interact with animals. Visitors can gently touch animals such as dogs, guinea pigs, and goats, as well as enjoy supervised feeding experiences.
You can feel the large shell of a giant tortoise or the coarse hair of a capybara while observing how different animals react to food and human contact. It is an enjoyable opportunity for children and adults to compare the textures, movements, and eating habits of different animals.
The petting area is open from 10:00 to 17:00, with final admission at 16:45. Children aged four and over are charged an admission fee for the area, while children aged three and under can enter free of charge with adult supervision.
African Savanna
The African Savanna is home to large birds such as ostriches and marabou storks. Marabou storks are scavengers that can feed on the remains of other animals, playing an important role in nature as part of the ecosystem’s cleanup process.
If you are lucky, you may see an ostrich spreading its wings and displaying its soft feathers. Their unusual appearance and impressive size make them one of the memorable sights in this area.
Pampas Grassland
At the Pampas Grassland, look for collared peccaries, animals that may initially resemble wild boars but are actually a different species. Each individual has its own distinctive markings and nose coloration.
Watch carefully between the grasses and you may spot one moving through the vegetation. Further along the railway tracks, llamas can often be seen relaxing quietly in the grassland.
A special feeding experience is also available for the collared peccaries.
Oceanian Flora and Birds
The Oceanian Flora and Birds area introduces visitors to distinctive wildlife from Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of Oceania.
Among the highlights are emus, flightless birds characteristic of Australia. During the breeding season, visitors may also see Indian peafowl displaying their brilliantly colored feathers.
International Species Conservation Research Center
The International Species Conservation Research Center is dedicated to the protection and breeding of rare wildlife from Okinawa and around the world. It provides an opportunity to learn more about endangered and unusual species through close observation.
The center is home to colorful macaws and large hornbills, whose calls can be surprisingly powerful. It also houses the blue-crowned turaco, an exceptionally rare bird that is seldom seen elsewhere.
Neo Park Okinawa previously achieved breeding success with the Okinawa rail, or Yanbaru kuina. Today, visitors can see Okinawa’s rare woodpecker known as the Noguchi’s woodpecker, which is undergoing rehabilitation as part of efforts toward eventual return to the wild.
The center is open from 10:00 to 17:15. Feeding experiences are not available in this area.
Bird Performance Show
One of the park’s most exciting attractions is the Bird Performance Show, held twice daily at 11:00 and 14:30. Admission to the show is free.
Visitors can experience the flight of birds of prey at remarkably close range, including Harris’s hawks and great horned owls. Colorful parrots such as blue-fronted amazons and Solomon cockatoos also take part in the performances.
The bird handlers and their feathered partners put on an entertaining display that combines impressive flight with the individual personalities of the birds.
In rainy weather, the program may be replaced by a commemorative photo opportunity with the birds. Visitors should arrive with plenty of time, as entry and exit from the performance area are restricted during the show. Performances may also change depending on the animals’ health and condition.
Okinawa Light Railway
The Okinawa Light Railway is a guided train attraction that recreates the light railway that once operated on Okinawa Island. The train travels around a 1.2-kilometer track, providing a relaxing way to see the park while learning about its animals, plants, and history.
The original Okinawa Prefectural Railway began operating between Naha and Yonabaru on December 1, 1914. The network was later extended, with the Kadena Line connecting Naha with Kadena in central Okinawa and the Itoman Line serving the south. There were also plans to extend the railway north toward Nago.
However, the railway was destroyed during the fierce fighting of World War II and was never rebuilt. Railways subsequently disappeared from Okinawa.
Neo Park recreated the historic railway based on the limited surviving documentation and operates the attraction as a guided ride around the park. The locomotives are modeled after historic steam locomotives, including a Henschel B1-type tank locomotive and a Japanese National Railways D51 locomotive, both reproduced at reduced scale. Although they resemble steam locomotives, the Neo Park versions are electrically powered.
The station is called Nago Station, reflecting historical plans to extend the prefectural railway northward to Nago. Displays related to Okinawa’s railway history can also be found around the station.
Railway Information
Operating hours: First departure 10:30; final departure 16:45.
Fare: Adults aged 13 and over, 1,000 yen; children aged 4 through elementary school age, 800 yen.
The railway is designed as a sightseeing attraction rather than transportation within the park. Departure times may change depending on weather, season, and reservations.
Red Panda Exhibit
The Red Panda Exhibit is located next to the Shima-Shima Shippo Café. Red pandas are famous for their adorable, almost stuffed-animal appearance, but they are also surprisingly active.
In addition to sleeping curled up, they may leap onto branches, climb, and run around their enclosure. A red panda feeding experience is held twice a day, allowing visitors to offer apples while listening to explanations from the animal care staff.
Tickets for the feeding experience are sold at the café and are currently cash-only. Times and prices may change, and activities may be altered depending on the animals’ condition.
Shima-Shima Shippo Café & Shop
The Shima-Shima Shippo Café & Shop provides a relaxing place to take a break while watching red pandas and ring-tailed lemurs.
The café serves refreshing Okinawan zenzai, hot drinks, and seasonal original sweets. It is also a convenient place to relax while waiting for the light railway or Bird Performance Show.
The shop sells animal plush toys as well as Neo Park original merchandise such as T-shirts and notebooks. Visitors can also find products inspired by animals of the Yanbaru region.
The café is open from 9:30 to 17:30, with last orders at 17:00.
Wildlife and Conservation
Neo Park Okinawa is home to approximately 105 species and around 2,000 individual animals. Its collection includes European flamingos, great hornbills, capybaras, ring-tailed lemurs, two-toed sloths, collared peccaries, Orii’s flying foxes, and the Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, among many others.
The park has also received breeding awards for species successfully bred for the first time in Japan under the breeding program of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Species associated with these achievements include the Okinawa rail, artificially bred blue-crowned turacos, African sacred ibises, marabou storks, roseate spoonbills, great hornbills, and several species of lemur and other birds.
Plants and Butterflies in a Subtropical Setting
The park’s botanical displays are an important part of the experience. In addition to animals, visitors can encounter plants from different parts of the world, including areas featuring cycads and other useful or potentially valuable plant species.
The subtropical climate of Okinawa provides an ideal setting for creating lush natural-looking environments. The park also incorporates food plants for butterflies, allowing visitors to observe colorful species as they fly among the flowers in search of nectar.
Access to Neo Park Okinawa
By Car
Neo Park Okinawa has a parking area with space for approximately 500 vehicles.
By Bus
From Naha Airport, take bus route 111 or a highway bus to Nago Bus Terminal. The journey takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, followed by a walk of about 40 minutes from the terminal.
Alternatively, from Nago Bus Terminal, take bus route 67, 73, 72, or 66 and get off at Isagawa Bus Stop. From there, Neo Park Okinawa is approximately a 20-minute walk away.
A Place to Discover Okinawa’s Natural World
Neo Park Okinawa offers more than a conventional zoo experience. Its open enclosures, free-flying birds, close encounters with animals, conservation programs, botanical areas, historic railway attraction, and educational exhibits create a place where visitors can experience nature from many different perspectives.
For families, animal lovers, and anyone interested in Okinawa’s subtropical environment, Neo Park Okinawa is a memorable place to see wildlife at close range while learning about the importance of coexistence between people, animals, plants, and the natural world.