Habu Encounter at Okinawa World

Beneath Okinawa’s paradisal surface creeps an infamous and deadly resident: the habu snake. Aggressive and lethally venomous, they are most commonly seen submerged in bottles of awamori (island sake) lining the walls of tourist shops along the main street of Kokusai Dori. However, one attraction offers visitors the chance to come face-to-face with these sinister serpents while they are still very much alive.

Habu snakes in jars of Okinawa’s potent local liquor, awamori.

Habu Museum Park

Located inside the popular Okinawa World theme park, just south of the prefecture’s capital city of Naha, lies the Habu Museum Park. Part museum and part zoo, it aims to educate visitors about habu as well as entertain, in the hope that learning more about these animals will enable people to better coexist with them.

Inside you can explore numerous snake-themed exhibits – most of which are in both English and Japanese – and learn more about the ecology and history of several of Okinawa’s local species of snakes and reptiles. They also hold daily events for visitors, which feature cobras and mongooses alongside the habu. And for those brave souls who would like a closer look, you can try the daily Habu Encounter program.

At the Habu Museum Park in Okinawa World, get to know Okinawa’s most deadly resident.

Habu Encounter

This unique attraction, now available in English as well as Japanese, enables visitors to get closer to habu than ever before through four separate habu-related activities. First, you can try holding a Habu Dome, which is a transparent container with a live habu inside. This enables you to safely see the snake up close from all angles, from where you can admire its distinctive black and yellow markings and peer into its red and gold eyes.

After getting acquainted with the viper you will have the chance to feed one of them, and then try catching one with a special tool known as a snake hook. Finally, you can meet and touch a live habu outside of its enclosure, and have your photo taken with it for posterity – and as proof!

For more information visit the Habu Park Museum’s official website and check out its cute PR video below:

This article is sponsored by Okinawa World.