A Soothing Nago Trip at Neo Park Okinawa: Birds and Animals Right Up Close!

The best part of Neo Park Okinawa is, above all, the overwhelming closeness to the animals.
Rather than simply looking at them, visitors can get close, touch them, and feel their warmth, texture, and even breathing, which is one of the major reasons for its popularity.
The sight of birds flying just above your head is full of impact, and directly feeling the energy of nature is an experience unique to Neo Park Okinawa.

Inside the park, tropical plants rarely seen in everyday life grow thickly, and just stepping inside takes you into an extraordinary world.
There is also an attraction that recreates the Okinawa Light Railway, a locomotive that ran in Okinawa Prefecture before the war, allowing visitors to feel as if they have traveled back in time.

Neo Park Okinawa offers abundant hands-on content, and the park is designed so that even visitors with small children can enjoy it without getting bored.
In particular, the Animal Interaction Area is popular for experiences that let visitors feel even closer to animals, such as interacting with capybaras and guinea pigs and walking dogs.
At the Bird Performance Show, visitors can also learn about bird ecology and the natural environment of Yanbaru.
In addition, at the Research Center for International Species Conservation, visitors can learn about efforts related to the protection and breeding of rare species.
The chance to deepen understanding of animals and nature while having fun is one of the reasons the park is supported by so many people.

Start with the feeding experience for Sakura the red panda, loved for her fluffy body and adorable face.
Watching her eagerly try to grab the apple on the end of a long stick, then happily munch on it, is almost overwhelmingly cute.
The feeding experience is held twice a day, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with only 12 slots available for each session and a ticket required.
Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the Red Panda Cafe, so it is recommended to get one soon after arriving.

Visitors are welcomed by about 500 birds relaxing freely inside the flying cage.
At African Lake, where eight species such as greater flamingos, great white pelicans, and African sacred ibises live, visitors can feed the birds directly.
When you place food in your palm and hold it out at the height of the birds’ faces, many birds gather and begin pecking at it.
At first, you may be surprised by the intensity, but before long, the ticklish feeling in your palm will become addictive.
Food is sold at the reception, so be sure to get some when purchasing your ticket.

In the jungle area that opened in summer 2025, visitors can encounter unique animals such as common squirrel monkeys, tamanduas, and blue-and-yellow macaws.
Although touching and feeding are not available, the closeness is unmistakably Neo Park Okinawa, with squirrel monkeys walking along handrails and macaws crossing the pathway.

At Fureai Plaza, visitors can enjoy feeding capybaras and tortoises, as well as interacting with small dogs and guinea pigs.
With the animals just a short distance away, you can observe their adorable behaviors up close, making it a relaxing and heartwarming experience for both children and adults.

The Bird Performance Show is a thrilling event where birds of prey such as Harris’s hawks fly just above visitors’ heads while weaving through the audience.
The elegant flight techniques of the birds as they rush past at a distance so close you might think they will collide with you are truly impressive.
The pink feathers of the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, sometimes called “the world’s most beautiful cockatoo,” are also a must-see.
The show also includes explanations about the natural environment of Yanbaru, making it a rich experience that is both fun and educational.
It is held twice daily at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm, so be sure to include it in your schedule.
*This article covers the 2:30 pm show.

Take a relaxing loop around the park on the Okinawa Light Railway, a guided attraction that recreates the locomotive that ran in prewar Okinawa at three-quarter scale.
As the train travels along a 1.2 km track in about 20 minutes, visitors can enjoy learning from the guide about animal behavior and fun facts.
The marabou stork, known as a cleaner of the land, can only be seen from the railway, so be sure not to miss it.

This facility studies the protection and breeding of wildlife and once successfully bred the Okinawa rail.
The Okinawa woodpecker, a nationally designated Special Natural Monument and an endemic species of Yanbaru, is also being protected here after injuring its wing in a traffic accident.
The Okinawa woodpecker is currently undergoing rehabilitation to return to the wild.
The toco toucan, which is also used in the Neo Park Okinawa logo, flies freely inside the facility.
With good timing, visitors may even meet a newborn baby sloth.

The Underwater Tunnel, where arapaima, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, swim, is a mysterious space that makes you feel as if you have stepped underwater.
Be sure to experience the impact of large-scale fish such as arapaima and colossoma.

The Red Panda Cafe is a cafe where visitors can relax while watching red pandas and ring-tailed lemurs.
The recommended item is the Red Panda Parfait, topped with a red panda cookie.
Made with plenty of apples and sweet potatoes, Sakura’s favorite foods, the parfait has a warm, gentle flavor loved by people of all ages.
Drinks include Okinawa-style flavors such as Okinawan brown sugar coffee and shikuwasa squash.

The Original Goods Shop attached to the cafe is also a spot visitors should be sure to stop by.
Among the wide selection of original goods related to animals in the park, here are some especially popular items.

This impressive life-size capybara plush toy is appealing for its fluffy feel and soft, huggable texture.
If you take it home and lie down with it, you may feel as if you are sleeping beside a real capybara.

The original T-shirt featuring a toco toucan and hibiscus is popular for its bright, Okinawa-style design.
With a wide range of sizes from S to XXL, it is also recommended for matching outfits with family or friends.