Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa City is the northernmost zoo in Japan. Although Asahikawa may be the second largest city in Hokkaido, with a population of 310,000 people, it is located quite a distance from Tokyo and other large cities and has heavy snowfall in winter. Nevertheless, in the summer of 2004 the monthly number of visitors to Asahiyama Zoo topped the number for Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to become the highest in Japan. The secret behind this popularity lies in Asahiyama Zoo’s display method, called “behavioral display,” which takes advantage of the characteristic behavior and abilities of the animals. I had been thinking about this zoo for some time, and recently I had the opportunity to experience its attractions. Let me share them with you!