The bathing Japanese Macaques – “Snow Monkeys”
These are Japan’s famous bathing snow monkeys, at Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Hell Valley Monkey Park) in Nagano. The sign on some steps leading to up to the park informs us that in one direction lies:
traditional Japanese inn (for human)
…….and in the other lie:
monkey park (for monkey)
And this rather obvious line of demarcation hints at the reason the park exists in the first place. The park was opened in 1964 to try stopping the monkeys from using the rotemburo (outdoor hot springs) in the nearby Yudanaka and Shibu onsen towns. The mountainous park is covered in snow for at least 4 months of the year, and our visit in early April was within that period.
Whether the plan worked, I couldn’t say for sure, but there were no signs of simian invaders in the rotemburo at our ryokan – the highly recommended Yudanaka Seifuso. A two night stay there was a great way to relax after covering hundreds of miles across Japan and back, to Kyoto, Himeji, Nara and Hiroshima. Pictures from all these locations to come…….
Next: Nikko
nihonalt 