Jigokudani Yaen-Koen (Wild Snow Monkey Park), Nagano

Monkeys entering the hot spring

The “Jigokudani Yaen-Koen” (Wild Snow Monkey Park), which is famous because Japanese monkeys entering the hot spring is seen, is in Yamanouchi-machi, Nagano. In recent years, it is also the popular spot among foreign tourists, and is loved as the “snow monkey.” Approximately 160 monkeys gather now in one group. In order that many monkeys may take a bath every day especially in winter, it gets down from a mountain. Since there is a way into which a car cannot be gone, you need to walk about 30 minutes up to a park, but because the monkey entering really comfortably are seen, there is the value only for it.

Only this “Jigokudani Yaen-Koen”

Although you often see the photograph of the Japanese monkey taking a hot spring, in fact it is said that it is only this “Jigokudani Yaen-Koen” that there is a monkey entering in a hot spring in the world.
Then, why did only the ape of this park come to go into a hot spring?
It is said that one baby monkey went into the hot spring for the first time in fact. This spread out in the whole group, and the park made the hot spring for exclusive use of the monkey.

Living in the north most in the world

A Japanese monkey is a monkey living in the north most in the world. That the Japanese monkey of Jigokudani go into a hot spring is the learned wisdom in order to bear the severe cold of winter. Therefore, they do not go into a hot spring at warm time positively.

World famous

The monkey of Jigokudani graced the cover of the American magazine “Life,” and it became famous globally taking advantage of word-of-mouth communication etc., and many foreign tourists are visiting.

The ecology of an original monkey

It is forbidden feeding the monkey without permission. Feeding show etc. are not performed so that the ecology of an original monkey can be observed. You can observe the Japanese monkeys to spend leisurely.

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