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Sapporo Orders North Safari Sapporo to Remove All Illegal Structures by October

City officials cite unresolved plans for moving animals as the key obstacle to timely demolition.

Overview

  • The Urban Planning Law order, issued on March 23 to operator Success Tourism, covers all remaining cages and other unauthorized facilities on the site.
  • Authorities counted 183 illegal structures as of December 2024 after first confirming unlawful building in 2004, following roughly two decades of unpermitted operations before the zoo closed in September 2025.
  • Noncompliance with the removal order can draw up to one year of detention or a fine of up to ¥500,000 under the statute.
  • Officials note few past removal orders have led to action and acknowledge progress now hinges on the company's voluntary response.
  • Tokyo-based Beach Capital says it has multiple offers to buy or lease a site and aims to choose a relocation destination by mid-April to take in the animals.