Into a Forest Where 100 Foxes Roam — Zao Fox Village, a Family Day Out at the Start of Autumn

The summer heat is finally easing, and mornings and evenings carry the first hint of autumn. For guests travelling with children, this is the season we recommend Zao Fox Village, tucked into the hills of Shiroishi City.

In a free-range enclosure spread through a South Zao forest, more than 100 foxes — red foxes, silver foxes, Arctic foxes and more — live as they please. It is the only place in Japan where you watch them not through a fence but standing on the same ground. One curled up asleep, another padding slowly through the shade: watch their faces for a while and the time slips away. Ponies, goats and rabbits live here too, so even the youngest visitors have plenty to enjoy.

With midsummer behind us, the foxes are gradually becoming more active. Up in the forest the air is clearer than in town, and simply walking the paths is a pleasure.

Do remember, though, that these are animals living close to the wild. Each child of elementary-school age or younger must be accompanied by at least one adult. Please read the guidance given at the entrance — no crouching, no dangling hands — and follow it throughout your visit.

Zao Fox Village is about a 45-minute drive from MARUKI Saifuku. The route crosses the Abukuma River and winds through the farmland and wooded hills of Shiroishi — early-autumn scenery in its own right. We hope you will make the trip during your stay.