Snow Monkey Park, Discover Their Secret to Braving the Extreme Cold | Nagano, Japan Trip

The Snow Monkey Park is the only place in the world where you can see Japanese macaques bathing in hot springs.
They bathe in hot springs on cold winter days to escape the cold.
If you visit the park on a snowy day when the temperature is below freezing, you will be able to see such a sight.

Snow Monkey Park
https://en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/
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00:00 Opening
00:26 Overview of Snow Monkey Park
03:33 Boardwalk to Snow Monkey Park
06:39 Features of Snow Monkey Park
08:57 Monkeys bathing in the hot springs
13:21 Notes on entering the park
14:42 Shibu Onsen to visit in conjunction with the park
16:37 Ending

#Macaque #Nagano #JapanTravel

Snow Monkey Park is located at the foot of Shiga Kogen Plateau in northern Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by sheer cliffs and with hot springs constantly gushing out, people named the area “Jigokudani” (Hell Valley). Winters here are harsh, with temperatures always below freezing. The lowest temperature is sometimes below -10℃.

Usually, a large amount of snow falls in mid-December and accumulates in the valley. During the cold season from January to February, the snowfall can exceed 1 meter. Therefore, visitors should be well-prepared for the cold during this season. Despite the harsh environment, the area attracts many tourists from home and abroad.

Feel Japan provides tourist information about Japan. You may learn something about Japan that you did not know. If you like this video, give us a thumbs up. Your comments are also welcome. Snow Monkey Park is a facility where monkeys are observed in their natural habitat.

Therefore, it is located deep in the mountains, far from human habitation. It is a 30-minute walk from the nearest bus stop. The path is almost flat, but unpaved and covered with snow. You may encounter a variety of wildlife along the way.

When you smell the sulfurous odor characteristic of hot springs, you will see Snow Monkey Park. Inside the building there are restrooms, coin lockers, and a small store. Pay the admission fee (800 yen for adults, 400 yen for children) and enter the park. As soon as you exit the building, the monkeys appear.

Unlike most zoos, there are no cages or enclosures. This is probably the only place in Japan where you can get this close to the monkeys. This is also the only place in Japan where you can see monkeys bathing in hot springs.

The monkeys were featured on the cover of the American magazine “LIFE” and attracted attention overseas as snow monkeys. Since then, they have been known around the world as snow monkeys. Monkeys feel good when their bodies are warmed by hot springs. They seem to feel very comfortable.

Some monkeys doze off with their eyes closed in a doze. They have not always been bathing in hot springs. One day, a baby monkey started to take a bath in an open-air bath for humans nearby. Then, adult monkeys imitated them. Later, for hygienic reasons, an open-air bath was built exclusively for these monkeys.

Since then, it has been passed down from generation to generation among the monkeys as a way to keep out the cold. There are certain rules that visitors must follow in order to enter the facility. 1. Do not show or give them food 2. Do not touch them or threaten them.

3. Do not stare into their eyes 4. Do not get too close to them 5. No special photography (drone, selfie stick, underwater) Be sure to follow the rules so that you can watch this spectacle forever. The area is so rich in hot springs that they even built an open-air bath exclusively for monkeys.

For this reason, there are many hot spring resorts near Snow Monkey Park. Among them, Shibu Onsen boasts a long history of 1,350 years since its opening. Along the cobblestone streets, buildings built about 100 years ago stand side by side.

Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll in yukata (light cotton kimono) and geta (wooden clogs) along the hot spring street, where the steam from the hot springs fills the air. Thank you for watching the video until the end. Please subscribe to this channel, give us a thumbs up, and leave a comment.

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