Aquariums and zoos in Hokkaido, struggling to cope with the soaring prices of food and electricity, are racking their brains to find sources of low-priced feed and ways to save power.

While the number of visitors has not fully recovered to the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, they have to make sure the animals stay healthy — which means they cannot reduce the amount of feed nor cut their use of necessary electricity and the heavy oil used for heating.

Some facilities have moved to raise admission fees as they face even harsher conditions in order to manage fuel costs with winter approaching.