Snow Monkeys!!!!
A day trip to Nagano to see Zenko-ji Temple and the Snow Monkeys
The baby monkey screamed as it chased its mom across the snow. Steam rising from its tiny body, the baby screeched its unhappiness at being torn from the hot springs into the frigid February evening.
I understood its pain all too well. The night before it felt just as hard to leave the onsen at our hotel after a day skiing in Japan’s Myoko Mountain area. Onsens, traditional hot springs-fed bathing facilities, are an integral part of Japanese culture and a wonderful way to enjoy après ski time (after some sake of course).
It was evening time at the Jigokudani Monkey Park Hot Springs though, and as this monkey’s mama knew, it was time to get out of the bath and get ready for bed. Like any good rebellious child at bed time, this little baby monkey was having none of it.
Monkey family enjoying the hot springs.
Like many places in Japan, the Jigokudani Monkey Park places quite a bit of trust in its guests. There are no real barriers between you and the monkeys, the hot springs and the rest of their habitat. The Park’s managers expect that you will be respectful of these wild animals and for the most part, guests did (except for a group of young American women who actually picked up one of the monkeys – oh the cultural shame!).
Pano of the hot springs and viewing areas.
This dynamic really adds to the wonder of the place. The monkeys accept the onlookers, but little beyond the viewing platform and rail, restricts their movement or interferes with their habitat. You are not witnessing tame or caged animals, but the true wild, native monkeys of Japan – needless to say, its pretty amazing!
Grub time at Monkey Park
Getting to see some of the social dynamics of these animals, parenting, gathering food, grooming and playing with each other was worth a visit to the remote park
That being said, the Monkey Park is really only a ½ day visit. You will want to find another attraction nearby to make the trip more worthwhile. We visited the Zenko-ji Temple in Nagano and found one of the most attractive and least-crowded temples of our trip.
It was an easy ½ hour walk from the train station to get to the Temple with lots of lunch opportunities along the way. And after visiting temples in Tokyo, it was nice to go to a temple without 10,000 other people. There was hardly anyone there during our visit (except for the creepy guy who asked to take a picture of me in front of the Temple!) which made for a much calmer and more enjoyable experience of the 7th Century Buddhist Temple.
Walking in this ancient place, climbing the old mountain path to see the monkeys – knowing some other monkey mama was pulling her warm little monkey baby from the hot springs a millennium ago (I think?) introduces a side of Japan you don’t get in Tokyo.
Trip Tips:
- It is a long walk to the Monkey Park from the bus stop. You first walk up a steep residential street before arriving at the Park entrance. It is still a long walk past the park entrance, with another steep climb (stairs this time), to get to the hot springs, so leave a lot of time in between bus drop off and pick up to get to the hot springs and enjoy the monkeys for a bit.
- Make sure your snacks are well-hidden and secure (or leave them behind altogether!). While you might conscientiously leave the monkeys alone, they might not do the same for you if they smell food on you. We saw one unfortunate gentleman lose a tug-of-war with an adult monkey for his shopping bag and lunch. Don’t let that be you!
