How Japan’s Snow Monkeys Ended Up in Hot Springs

How Japan’s Snow Monkeys Ended Up in Hot Springs

[Music] All righty. After a few nights in Nigata, getting up to well, nothing really, we made our way into a pretty little city at the base of the Japanese Alps called Nago. Because of some logistical yada yada, we ended up here from the 25th of Feb to the 2nd of March, despite there only being a couple nights worth of stuff to do. But that’s not the point. The goal of this video is simple. To show you Jigokodani Monkey Park, something I’d been itching to see for years. Only problem is I Well, yeah, I lost all the vlog footage of me talking about it. I’m definitely not salty at all. No, I’ll just uh I’ll tell you everything over some luscious B-roll instead. Jigokuani, aka Hell Valley Wild Monkey Park, is up in the mountains of Nagono Prefecture. To get there, it’s about a 2-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Nagano, then take a 45minute bus from Nago Station. I think it was around 2,000 yen each way. The bus drops you at Kayashi Onsen. It’s a beautiful walk through some spectacular winding paths amongst the trees and the odd geothermal thing uh doing its thing. What an insane place to stay. Couldn’t imagine how much that costs, but a private monkey hot pool. Next level entry costs 800 yen. And then I might need to switch to the 90. Holy. These are Japanese macaks, the only known monkeys in the world that bathe in hot springs. The story behind how these monkeys got here is actually so interesting. But for now, I’ll uh I’ll shut up and let you enjoy my David Adra moment. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Laughter] [Music] All right, I didn’t want to interrupt the edit earlier, but here are the photos. Honestly, these are definitely up there with some of the coolest shots throughout like the whole trip. Now, look, I could sit here and complain about how many people were there and say it ruined the experience, but I’d be lying. Sure, it it was busy, but once you manage your expectations, you can take it in for what it is. And basically, it’s just a rare case of monkey see monkey do. This whole behavior actually started in 1963 when one monkey was spotted mimicking locals by hopping into an outdoor bath at a rioan specifically Kurakan Onsen just down the road. I think uh that little guy was just trying to escape the cold. Over time it became a generational vibe location. Obviously not the most hygienic thing for a hotel. So they built the monkeys their own pool and that’s how Jigokadani Monkey Park was born. Thanks. Is it warm in here? I’m warm. It’s very warm. Pizza, eh? Ring ring. [Music] This is so danger. Look at that. This is so This is not a pizza. Okay, that’s all we’re getting. That’s busting. It’s a bit thin and a bit hard to eat, but it’s good to have western food again. Oh, it’s so thick. Burrito style strategy. It actually tastes really good. Yeah. Right. Verdict lit. How does one do you put it on? Wo. Hot and cold. Ow. That was like a tornado in my mouth. We called it an early night after that because the plan for the next day was to head out into the sticks in search of a hidden gem that genuinely blew my socks off. Like and subscribe and I’ll see you

Deep in the mountains of Nagano, Japan, a unique troop of Japanese macaques have learned how to survive the harsh winters… by mimicking humans, and vibing out in natural hot springs. These snow monkeys of Jigokudani have become world famous for their chill hot-spring lifestyle, but seeing them in person is a next-level experience.

In this one, I take you on a bit of a cinematic journey to meet the hot-spring bathing snow monkeys, and share a short story of how they started to call these hot pools home, whilst giving you a detailed explanation on how to get there if you’re planning your own trip.

The Jigokudani Snow Monkeys are already very popular, but for good reason, this is one adventure that everyone should add to their itinerary.

If you enjoy the video, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more travel stories across Japan and beyond…

Here’s hoping I don’t delete the vlog footage from here on out though ahha

Btw, if you wanna bring a slice of paradise to your crib, here’s the link to my print store!
www.declanhues.com

Timestamps.

00:00 – Getting to Jigokudani
01:27 – The Japanese Snow Monkeys
04:42 – The Story Behind the Hot Spring Bathing
05:32 – An Unforgettable Apple Pie

#SnowMonkeys #JapanTravel #Jigokudani #HotSprings #WildlifePhotography