How to See the Famous Residents of Jigokudani Monkey Park
by Laura Studarus
Seeing Japan's most notable monkeys can be fun, but here's what to consider first.
Snow monkeys and onsens are among some of the most iconic symbols of Japan. But there’s only one place where the two come together. Located in Japanese Alps, “Hell Valley,” named for its bubbling hot springs. Located there is Jigokudani Monkey Park, the only place in the world where you can see these cute creatures going for dip.
If seeing monkeys with weather-beaten red faces, long hair, and a human-like desire for a little self-care is your thing, read on we have all the details to help you decided if you should visit these chilled-out primates for a day.
First a bit of history.
Up until the early 1960s, snow monkeys, or Japanese Macaques, were considered more pest than tourist attraction. The development of regional ski lodges in the 1950s drove large troops into the villages, and suddenly farmers had to figure out how to protect their apple orchards from these new invaders.
The history of how the macaques went from fruit thieves to bathing beauties is a bit murky. Soaking in onsens is a learned behavior—meaning you won’t see monkeys do it anywhere else in the world. Some point to the nearby Korakukan guest house—which had an outdoor onsen—as the location where monkeys caught on to human bathing habits. Others contend that one day, a monkey simply fell, and discovered, like we all do, that soaking in hot water is really relaxing.
Regardless, by 1964 there was enough monkeys indulging in soak that Jigokudani Monkey Park was established as their official safe space. (And presumably as an encouragement to stay out local crops!) It remained a semi well-kept secret until hitting the cover of LIFE magazine in 1970, essentially turning the park into the travel phenomena it is today.
Is the park really ethical?
Anytime animals are involved this is an important question to ask! Every morning, park employees throw apples into the onsen, encouraging monkey troops to visit for the day. However, that’s all it is—encouragement. Since monkeys are free to come and go, there will be rare days when none show up. When in doubt, you can always check the webcam for a live feed before your visit.
How to keep your expectations in check.
Visiting Jigokudani Monkey Park is an extremely polarizing experience. Some people call it one of their favorite travel memories. Others leave disappointed. To get the most out of your visit, or decide if it’s a stop you’d like to make, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.
- The pool the monkeys play in is a concrete and rock bowl, and the surrounding area is also man-made. It’s not big by any means...unless of course, you’re a monkey. But since they’re free to hang out wherever they want, you’re also likely to spot monkeys near the river, and hanging out in the hills surrounding the park.
- The monkeys are far more likely to go for a dip in cold weather, so you should also plan to visit Jigokudani in the winter months. If your goal is to take memorable photos, a decent dusting of snow is an aesthetically important part of this experience. Without it, the main area of the park just looks…well, a bit muddy.
- Cars will only take you so far. While many ryokan owners in the area are happy to drive guests to the base of the mountain, you’ll still need to hike about 20 minutes to get to the park. The path is well-maintained with a gentle incline. But given the weather, it gets slick, so be sure to take your time, and wear shoes that you don’t mind accessorizing with mud. Unfortunately, since you will have to walk up an unpaved hill, and down a long flight of stairs, the park is not handicap accessible.
- Again, this is an at-will experience for the monkey troops, meaning that if you choose to visit, you’ll need bit of luck and a lot of patience. There’s no way to tell how many monkeys will show up on a given day, or how many will decide to go for a soak.
So, is it worth it?
Well, if you love monkeys, the answer is a resounding yes. Most guests spend an hour or two enjoying the action—but if you have even a passing interest in photography, you’ll likely end up sending the entire day, and maybe even consider planning a return visit. But the park is a fair distance away from many other popular tourist locations in the country. So, it’s always worth taking a beat to consider the time investment verses anything else you might have on your Japan travel bucket-list.
If you’re pressed for time, consider swapping it out with other ethical animal experiences, like visiting the deer in Nara, or the Iwatayama Monkey Park in Kyoto—both which take significantly less of a travel commitment.
I’d like to visit. So how do I do it?
One popular option is to make the experience a day trip from Tokyo. We’d advice against in because getting there requires an aggressive two-train, 267 km trip northwest of Tokyo. Sure, it’s doable—although given that the monkeys tend to visit the onsen earlier in the day, you’re better off making it a relaxing overnight trip, and getting an early start the next morning.
The good news is that the nearby town of Yamanouchi/Shibu Onsen is a traditional onsen village. If you like getting into hot water (literally…not metaphorically), it’s worth a visit. Renting a room in the area gives you a key to open each of the village’s nine traditional bathhouses, each which claims to cure a specific ailment. Luck is granted to anyone who completes the entire circuit. Special towels are even sold so you can collect stamps from every bathhouse as you complete the circuit. Don’t eat the apples thrown into the waters (those are actually for moisturizing the skin), but lean back and soak it in instead. You’ll be in a monkey-frame of mind in no time.
Visit the park:
Adults: JPY800
Children (6-17 years old): JPY400
Children under 5: Free