Adorable Japanese macaque monkeys soaking in a hot spring with a face full of contentment! The large number of monkeys sheltering from the cold in the hot springs of Jigokudani Yaen-koen in Shimotakai-gun, Nagano Prefecture, is a must-see for animal lovers who are healed just by looking at the monkeys!
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Introduction of sightseeing video of "Jigokudani Yaen-koen" in Shimotakai-gun, Nagano Prefecture
This video, titled "SNOW MONKEY JAPAN|Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park|Monkeys in Hot Springs," introduces the tourist spot in Nagano prefecture (長野県, Nagano ken) in Koushinetsu region (甲信越地方, Koushinetsu chihou ) of Japan.
The monkeys at Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park bathe in the hot springs to fend off the cold in the winter.
Enjoy watching the lovely monkeys chilling out in the cold winter weather!
What is Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park?
Source :YouTube screenshot
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is a popular destination for both domestic and foreign travelers.
It's called "Snow Monkey Mountain" in English.
The park can be enjoyed in every season, and in the fall, the leaves change to beautiful shades of red and yellow, creating a completely different atmosphere than that of the snowscapes of winter.
The video shows how to get to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park by taking the Nagano Electric Railway's Snow Monkey Limited Express (長野電鉄特急スノーモンキー, Nagano Dentetsu Tokkyu Snow Monkey) connecting Nagano station and Yudanaka station, at 0:27 in the video.
It takes about 15 minutes to get to the Kanbayashi hot spring (上林温泉, Kanbayashi Onsen) parking area by bus, and about 30 minutes to get to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park by foot.
We recommend stopping at Yokoyugawa Valley (横湯川渓谷, Yokoyugawa Keikoku) on the way.
You need to buy a ticket to enter when you arrive at Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. This is shown at 3:36 in the video.
Source :YouTube screenshot
At Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, you can enjoy watching a bunch of monkeys playing around.
When they get cold, they hop in the hot springs for a bit to warm up.
Unfortunately, if it's hot out, the monkeys won't be getting in the hot springs too frequently.
That being said, we recommend visiting on colder days so you can see the adorable sight of them bathing.
There are live cameras you can check out before visiting to see what the weather is like as well.
Monkeys Bathing at Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Photo:Snow monkey
You can watch monkeys taking a bath in the video at 4:38.
A troop of monkeys bathe in the springs, surrounded by white snow.
The monkeys enjoy their bath time much like people, and you can even see a mother and her child taking a bath together at 5:06.
One monkey can be seen relaxing with its eyes closed at 6:30 in the video.
Although there are many tourists around, the monkeys pay no mind and go on enjoying themselves.
Sightseeing Around Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
The bus tour, which goes around Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, is great for people who enjoy lively sightseeing trips.
We also recommend stopping by Jigokudani Hot Spring Inn (地獄谷温泉後楽館, Jigokudani Onsen Korakukan) and Jigokudani Fountain (地獄谷噴泉, Jigokudani Funsen) as well.
Shiga Plateau (志賀高原, Shiga Kougen) is another popular tourist spot in Nagano prefecture.
There are cafés where you can eat lunch, cool hotels, and an art museum that you can enjoy here.
Summary of Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Photo:Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park Entrance
Unfortunately the only way to get to Jidokudani Snow Monkey Park is to walk the promenade from the parking area to the park itself.
It takes about 30 minutes, so we highly recommend wearing comfortable clothing.
There are some rules that you need to follow as not to scare the monkeys, so be sure to check those out as well.
There are many places to stay near Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, so if you're planning on staying over night you'll have no trouble finding a place to stay.
Are you ready to see some cute monkeys in person?
◆Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park◆
【Address】6845 Yamanouchi-machi Shimotakai-gun Nagano Japan 381-0401
【Access】~30 minutes by car from the Shinshu-Nakano Interchange, or ~15 minutes by bus or taxi from Yudanaka Station on the Nagano Electric Railway limited express line. ~30 minutes on foot from the Kanbayashi hot spring parking area
【Hours】Summer 8:30-17:00 Winter 9:00-16:00
【Admission fee】Adults 500 JPY, children 250 JPY (Coupons available)
【Closures】No regular holidays
【Telephone】0269-33-4379
【Stay time】2 hours
【Official Website】Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
http://en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/
【Tripadvisor】Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1117904-d324924-Reviews-Jigokudani_Snow_Monkey_Park