Then, of course, there are the squirrels themselves, which are pretty darn adorable. Many will readily come to you if have some seeds to offer. You can buy a small packet from the staff for ¥100 (US$0.82).

A sign outside the enclosure tells you how hungry the squirrels are. For our visit, they had just passed into “A little bit peckish."

Along with your seeds, you get a kitchen mitt to protect your hands—and to keep your germs away from the squirrels too.

As it turns out, the squirrel garden isn’t limited to just squirrels. They have a host of other small furry and feathered animals, including a massive horde of guinea pigs, some prairie dogs, turtles, birds and several different species of rabbits, some of which have scheduled “encounter times" when they can be held or pet.

And of course, because it’s Japan, there is a gift shop. Mostly, they carry cute stuffed animals, books and toys for kids.

All in all, we’d say the park is worth a trip for fans of the cute and cuddly or families with kids. There’s also a large, lovely Japanese park across the street called Yakushiike Koen, so my advice is to combine the two for a nice day out and then finish up at one of Machida’s many ramen shops.

See, the ‘burbs ain’t so bad!

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