MANILA, Philippines – A visit to Japan wouldn’t be complete without seeing the famous snow monkeys chilling in hot springs.
If you’re someone who loves adventure and enjoys being around wildlife, then this park is perfect for you. Here, the monkeys have the freedom to roam around without any barriers separating them from the visitors. However, if you’re nervous around wild animals, this might not be your ideal spot.
Situated at the foot of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park in Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, the Jigokudani Monkey Park (also known as the Snow Monkey Park) is home to a special troop of Japanese macaques. Established in 1964, the park serves as a conservation area where these monkeys can live freely in their natural habitat.
Getting there
The park is quite far from Tokyo, about a 4-hour car ride away. However, if you’re taking public transport, your best option is to catch the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station, which only takes around 1.5 hours. From there, an Express bus will take you directly to Kanbayashi Onsen, where the park is located. The bus ride will last approximately 45 minutes.
To reach the park hassle-free, you can also consider joining a group tour. This way, you won’t need to worry about catching the right train or bus. While it’s possible to visit in a day, I suggest making it part of a longer trip. You can even combine it with a visit to the nearby Shiga Kōgen Ski Area to make the most of your time.
The best time to see the monkeys bathing in the hot springs is during the winter months. Given their wild nature, it’s worth mentioning that their presence isn’t guaranteed during your visit. I suggest checking their live camera before your visit to see if they’re around that day.
Another good thing about the park is that it’s open every day of the year. However, the opening hours vary depending on the season. In the Green Season, from April to October, the park welcomes visitors from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. During the Winter Season, from November to March, it’s open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Walking to the park
Make sure you have sturdy hiking shoes suitable for the season to avoid accidents. To reach the park, you’ll need to hike about 1.6 km or 1 mile on a small trail. I went last April and found the trail to be quite slippery due to snow covering it, and there are no barriers along the cliff edges.
At the beginning of the trail, there’s a small information center and souvenir shop called Snow Monkey Resorts Info & Gift Shop. You can check it out, but note that there’s another souvenir shop at the top.
You’re looking at a hike of about 30 to 40 minutes each way, depending on your pace. It’s a really nice and peaceful walk, with a lot of tall evergreen trees everywhere you look.
Before you reach the final stretch of the trail, you’ll come across the charming small hot spring village of Kanbayashi Onsen. When you get to the last part of the trail, visitors have to climb up a staircase to enter the park.
In this area, there’s a small hut where you can purchase your tickets. The tickets cost JPY800, which is about P300 for adults, and JPY800 or around P150 for kids aged 6-17. Children under 5 years old get in for free.
Once you’re inside the park, you’ll notice some signs reminding visitors of a few rules to follow: such as not feeding or touching the monkeys, refraining from eating or drinking while in the park, keeping a safe distance from the monkeys (1 to 2 meters), and avoiding the use of selfie sticks or flash photography. To avoid any hassle, everyone must stick to these rules, especially with all those CCTV cameras around.
Don’t forget, this is the monkeys’ territory, so let’s be respectful guests. As you walk along the pathway, you might see some monkeys hanging around on the railings. The pathway will lead you to a man-made pool where the monkeys often gather.
It’s really fun to watch how the monkeys interact with each other, and you can get quite close to them. You’ll notice that the monkeys are practically experts at the art of ignoring humans, that they hardly pay any attention to us.
Several generations of monkeys have been born and raised near humans, which has made them quite comfortable around us. There are no barriers between visitors and monkeys, and because the park has a strict rule against feeding them, the monkeys are peaceful and behave naturally as they go about their daily routines.
Being able to observe the monkeys up close as they move around you with ease, and seeing them groom each other, dive in the water, search for food, take care of their young, and play around, is an experience you won’t forget anytime soon. – Rappler.com