Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden is a unique botanical garden located in Yunokawa Onsen, one of Hakodate’s best-known hot spring districts. Despite Hokkaido’s cool northern climate, the garden’s greenhouse provides a warm environment where visitors can enjoy approximately 300 species of tropical plants throughout the year.
In addition to the greenhouse, the garden features outdoor spaces and family-friendly facilities, including playground equipment, a footbath, a water plaza, and a monkey enclosure. Its most famous attraction is the Japanese macaques that enjoy soaking in a hot spring during the coldest months of the year.
The garden was established by Hakodate City in 1980, with the aim of displaying a wide variety of tropical plants while making use of the area’s relatively mild climate. Inside the greenhouse, visitors can step into a warm, humid environment filled with plants that would normally be difficult to encounter in Hokkaido.
Bananas, papayas, mangoes, bougainvillea, and many other tropical plants can be found throughout the greenhouse. Colorful flowers and unusual fruit-bearing trees create a distinctly subtropical atmosphere, offering a refreshing change of scenery during a visit to northern Japan.
The greenhouse maintains a controlled temperature and humidity suitable for tropical plants, allowing visitors to enjoy lush greenery regardless of the season outside.
Outside the greenhouse, seasonal gardens offer changing scenery throughout the year. In spring and summer, flowers add vibrant color to the grounds, while the surrounding landscape provides a pleasant setting for a leisurely stroll.
The garden’s most famous residents are its Japanese macaques. During the winter, the monkeys can be seen soaking in a specially provided hot spring, creating one of Hakodate’s most unusual and entertaining seasonal sights.
The monkeys typically begin enjoying the warm water in December, and they can be seen bathing through the cold season until around the Golden Week holiday period in early May. Watching the macaques relax in the steaming water while surrounded by winter conditions is an unforgettable experience.
The sight is particularly charming because the monkeys appear remarkably comfortable in the warm water, making the hot spring area one of the garden’s most popular attractions during winter.
Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden offers more than plant displays. Visitors can enjoy a footbath, water plaza, playground equipment, and monkey enclosure, making the garden an accessible destination for families as well as travelers interested in plants and nature.
The combination of tropical vegetation, outdoor recreation, and animal viewing gives the garden a relaxed atmosphere that is quite different from traditional botanical gardens.
The garden also has an educational role, providing opportunities for visitors to learn about plants and the natural world. Workshops and guided activities for children introduce nature in an enjoyable and accessible way.
Facilities for academic research are also available, supporting study related to plants and nature. The garden therefore serves not only as a recreational attraction but also as a place for environmental and botanical education.
Located in the Yunokawa Onsen area, the garden can easily be incorporated into a Hakodate sightseeing itinerary. After enjoying the tropical greenhouse and gardens, visitors can explore the surrounding hot spring district and experience one of Hakodate’s famous onsen areas.
The contrast between the warm greenhouse and the snowy outdoor landscape is particularly enjoyable in winter. For families, the monkey hot spring is a memorable highlight, while plant lovers can spend time discovering the diverse tropical species inside the greenhouse.
Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden brings together tropical plants, seasonal gardens, animals, and family-friendly activities in one compact destination. Its approximately 300 species of tropical plants offer a surprising glimpse of warmer climates in northern Japan, while the bathing Japanese macaques provide an experience that is uniquely associated with the garden.
For travelers visiting Hakodate, especially during winter, the sight of Japanese macaques peacefully soaking in a hot spring is an experience well worth seeking out.
April - October 9:30 - 18:00
November - March: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
December 29 - January 1
General admission: 300 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 100 yen
Free for elementary school students before school age
30 min. by bus from Hakodate Stn. → 3 min. walk from Tropical Botanical Garden