Asahiyama Zoo is the reason many Japanese travellers know Asahikawa. Its exhibits are designed to show animals moving rather than just sitting in enclosures: seals glide through a vertical tube, penguins swim through a tunnel, and polar bears can be watched underwater.
The zoo is at its most distinctive in winter, when snow changes the mood and the penguin walk draws crowds. It is not in the city centre, but regular buses from Asahikawa Station make it straightforward without a car.