Machida Squirrel Garden 町田リス園

An animal park for the whole family

If you like cute animals, or want to give your children a moment of wonder , the Machida Squirrel Garden is ideal. Very easily accessible from Tokyo via a train and a bus, this small animal park, opened in 1988, is one of the few places in Tokyo where you can approach cute little animals. Here, unlike the Cat and Bunny cafés in the Japanese capital, the animals are not kept in cages and live in a garden , decorated with trees, small houses and lawns. Also, there is no time limit , and you can stay as long as you want.

To read: Animal cafes

The first part of the park, however, presents small animals in enclosures. You can find different species of rodents here, including chipmunks , tropical birds , turtles , rabbits , as well as a number of guinea pigs . The latter will be the subject of a small show at a fixed time, during which they will evolve in a labyrinthine course. You can even buy lettuce to distribute to Angora rabbits!

Meet little balls of fur

When you have decided, you can move on to the second part of the park, the highlight of the show: the squirrel garden . Passing an airlock, you come out on a large space of about 200 m 2 . There, you will be given a potholder and a glove , to protect you from the small claws of squirrels, which can cause superficial scratches. You can also buy a bag of sunflower seeds for 100 yen (0.80€): they will allow you to attract squirrels to you. These small rodents are Pallas squirrels : the same size as red squirrels, but with a brown coat, they are native to Taiwan.

Squirrels are not shy and will easily come to your hand for food. However, do not count on taking them in your arms and petting them like cats: they remain small non-domestic animals. Children can approach them without any danger and feed them at will. Strolling among the many squirrels is a very kawaii moment to share with the family!

Finally, a large gift shop with a wide variety of souvenirs welcomes you at the exit: stuffed animals with the image of animals, key rings, figurines... which will undoubtedly attract the attention of your children! If you have time, we advise you to end the day by taking a walk in the large Yakushiike park , located just in front of the Machida Squirrel Garden.