We know you love visiting Japan and are giving you yet another reason to fly there. Mountainous views, hot springs, and cute animals – put these 3 together and you’ll get Izu Resort Villa, where you can enjoy a capybara sleepover experience.
You read that right. Located about 3 hours from Tokyo, this capybara resort is filled with the adorable animals roaming freely right outside your villa.
The resort is located in the Shizuoka prefecture, most notably home to Mount Fuji. The quickest way to get there is by a 3-hour drive from Tokyo, and parking is free of charge.
You can choose to take the villa’s bus transportation too, where they’ll pick you up from Izu Inatori Station, which is 2 hours from Tokyo.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
The villa used to be Izu Inatori Sports Villa for tennis players before being repurposed as a resort with around 30 resident capybaras at the time of writing. The resort has 3 huge 2-storey villas with maisonette bedrooms overlooking the yard of capybaras.
The property is owned by the same company behind Izu Animal Kingdom, a zoo located close by, which you can easily check out during your stay too.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of the yard from the living room.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
Whether you’re going for a family holiday, a couple retreat, or rounding up your friends for the trip that finally made it out of the group chat, this capybara resort is the place to be. Each villa has 2 floors and can house anywhere from 2 to 6 people.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
A stay at the premium villa starts from ¥22,400/night (~S$189.92), while a standard villa will set you back from ¥19,800/night (~S$167.88). The villas come with a mini-kitchen, toilet, shower, and 6 beds spread across the 2 floors.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
You will have plenty of time and chances to interact with the capybaras. The villas offer you direct access to play with them anytime you want. You can see them lazing around, getting a sandbath, or swimming in the pond. Plus, you can watch them eat in their feeding area from the living room.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
For a more hands-on experience, you can opt to feed them too. Just hold some of the complimentary carrot sticks out for them to nibble on. Fair warning, though, it will probably lead them to affectionately ask you for more, which you can get for an extra ¥500 (~S$4.24).
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
When you want a break from watching the capybaras, drape on the yukata provided and get your own relaxation time at the complimentary public bath or sauna.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
Those who prefer something cosy and quiet, head over to the Library Cafe where you can bury your nose in one of the 700 books available and have a bite. End your night on a high note when the cafe turns into a bar after 7pm.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
There’s also a restaurant where they display a lovely spread of Western and Japanese dishes in their buffet. Or if you prefer to have the full farm experience, you can choose to have an outdoor BBQ party at their pits.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
We’ve been harping on about these furry animals but what exactly are capybaras? For the uninitiated, capybaras are basically big rodents originating from South America, and are quite a bit larger than a typical hamster or mouse.
Looking deeper into the family tree, capybaras are close relatives to guinea pigs and rock cavies, as characterised by their plant-based diet and bodies. While they do look like beavers, capybaras aren’t related to them at all, other than their common love for swimming.
You may think “Ugh capybaras are actually rodents, so they are sure to be unfriendly”. But, it’s quite the opposite. Capybaras are very docile and friendly; so much so that they can chill with other creatures in the animal kingdom, let alone us humans. Even kids will find it easy to interact with them at this capybara resort in Japan.
Image credit: Izu Resort Villa
When searching for a getaway experience, we’re always on the lookout for something exciting and unique. Izu Resort Villa checks all that, and then some with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang out with capybaras during your vacay.
For more cool spots in Japan, check out:
Cover image adapted from: Izu Resort Villa
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