Experience / the farm

Tategamori Ark Farm offers a variety of activities in the great outdoors. First, talk to the farm guide, who will take you around the incredible 100 hectares of the farm for the next hour free of charge, showing you how to enjoy your visit. You can take part in activities only found here, such as visiting the animal plaza to feed rabbits and sheep, trying your hand at picking seasonal vegetables, or taking care of animals. When the weather is fine, there'll be a nostalgic picture-story show to entertain both adults and children.

The cooking activities are also popular, and the items you can try vary from handmade confectionery to bread. The farm offers a host of original activities that are only possible at a farm, such as a bakery class to bake bread with the Nanbu and Yukichikara wheat harvested here, and also a herb craft class with produce from the herb garden.

Try / highland specialty foods

Restaurant Till's serves a full range of specialty foods from the highlands, including Tategamori Highland pork, ham, sausage, classic-style eggs and organic vegetables. The lunch buffet on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays is especially popular, serving about 30 dishes including classic-style omelettes, pasta, venison curry and seasonal vegetable tempura that all bring out the original ingredients' flavors. Savor the changing seasons of the highlands through this dining experience!

Highland specialty food (1): Tategamori Highland pork

Raised on herbs, tapioca pearls, rice, wheat and sweet potato, the pork is tender, juicy and its fat is especially delicious. The farm also makes ham and sausage from this pork, inviting an expert from Munich, Germany so that the products can be prepared with all-natural salt and German spices. There's a handmade sausage class every Saturday, based on the authentic traditional technique.

Highland specialty food (2): Classic-style eggs

The eggs are also popular items at the farm, taken from free-range chickens. Feeding on the original feed blend mixed with herbs, the chickens develop strong immunity and are raised without antibiotics. If you want something out of the ordinary, there's an egg-collecting area for you to find and collect freshly laid eggs. And for a modest price, take some home.

Up close and personal / with wild animals

Here at Iwate Safari Park, you'll see many wild animals including lions, tigers and zebras. The first animal you'll encounter after boarding the safari bus and entering the park is the Bengal tiger. Thrill to the amazing carnivore zone, where white lions and cheetahs await you!

Meanwhile in the herbivore zone, giraffes and other friendly animals come up to you. If you show them the food from the window, their huge face zoom in and the food disappears before you know it! There are also unusual animals and birds like ostriches, emus and American bison. The safari bus tour of the park, "Savanna in the Sky," lasts almost an hour.

After stepping off the bus, head to the elephant village to enjoy a slow stroll in the open space on an elephant from Laos. The view from the saddle is something special. Couples, friends, or any two adults can ride together. Small children can also ride if accompanied by an adult. The elephant will be away for wintering from December to March, and returns in April.

Animal / showtime

The World Monkey Center offers shows by animals, including a flamingo show where flamingoes flamboyantly dance to samba and waltz music, and a monkey show where the monkeys demonstrate their tricks. Also be sure to visit Fureai Square where you can play with ring-tailed lemurs and ruffed lemurs, especially as penguins and capybaras have recently joined the fray. There is also a shop with limited-offer items as well as a restaurant. Once you know when the show starts, you can visit the shop and restaurant to take a break and hunt for souvenirs.