The animals get ready for autumn.

Sapporo Maruyama Zoo (Autumn)

The "Children's Zoo" is the only spot in the park where visitors can directly interact with the animals, and it echoes with children's excited voices year-round. Gently petting a sheep or guinea pig, you might feel their warmth even more strongly during this particular season. In the "Wakuwaku Asia Zone," Amur tigers can be seen playfully roughhousing together. Lying around, yawning, doing whatever they please — seen through sturdy glass, they really do look like giant cats. The snow leopard, tiny and fluffy as a cub, has grown noticeably sturdier before we knew it. At the "World of Bears House," the polar bears are moving about at their leisure. The females, Lara and Candy, are reportedly getting ready to give birth soon, and we're hoping for happy news.

Another highlight to watch for this autumn is a rush of newly unveiled baby animal debuts. The red panda and Asian small-clawed otter cubs, born this past July, have finally made their appearance before us. Since they're still getting used to their outdoor surroundings, public viewing is limited to specific times and days, and may be paused depending on their condition or the weather — but their adorable appearance is not to be missed. Watching them tumble around near their mothers is about as heartwarming as it gets.

The spacious grounds have plenty of slopes, so simply wandering around, absorbed in exploring, can go a long way toward making up for a sedentary daily routine. For kids, there's also "Marutopia," a play area where they can move around freely. It's packed with play equipment designed around the perspectives and instincts of different animals — a jungle gym combination, a snow leopard nap spot, a prairie dog burrow, and more. Getting a playful, hands-on sense of different animals' sizes and habits through play is something only a zoo's play area can offer.

Shift your gaze away from the animals for a moment, and you'll notice the ivy climbing the facility walls, and the zoo's own forest, both tinged in red and yellow. No matter how many times you visit, this remains a place that reminds you of the workings of nature and living things. Why not visit on a clear day, to see the animals and enjoy a bit of casual leaf-peeping at the same time?

Read our article on Sapporo Maruyama Zoo (Winter) here