Japan

Snow Monkey Park

Edward Kopka

30 Nov 2025 • 6 min read

Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, the Wild Snow Monkey Park, is a really cool place to visit. It is located in the mountains to the north-west of Tokyo, really close to Shiga Kogen ski resort. My old house mate had told me about the snow monkeys and, since I was going to the ski fields anyway, I decided to visit on my way there. This was the first full day, a Sunday, I had in Japan without my brother and back to traveling solo.

I took a shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano and then a private train line to Yadunaka. This was properly in the mountains and here is the first time I saw snow in Japan. From Yadunaka I took a short 10 minute bus ride. From the bus stop I still had to walk about 1.5 kilometers to the actual park entrance. This was actually a beautiful walk through a mountain forest covered in snow.

The actual park wasn't too big, located in a valley, with steep slopes on all sides it provided a protected environment for the monkeys to shelter in during winter. The centre piece of the park is a hot spring bathing pool built for the monkeys. The story goes that the monkeys kept invading the local onsen (thermal spring baths) built for humans so the owners built one just for the monkeys. During winter the monkeys come to the park and bathe in the hot spring, and apparently this is the only place in the world where wild monkeys do this.

The main park where the human and monkey worlds collide. At the centre is the pool that is surrounded by many tourists observing the monkeys.

The first monkey I saw relaxing in the hot water. A kind stranger made room for me to be able to get close enough to take this picture.

Not long after I arrived a staff member came with a bucket of monkey food. He distributed the food throughout the park for the monkeys to feast.

Monkeys started pouring down the mountain slope coming to partake of the food brought by the park officer. Every picture has at least one monkey in it.

All the monkeys gathered together looking for the food thrown onto the snow.

A snow monkey looked up at me as it was eating some food.

I observed the monkeys eating. They would use both hands to find food, bringing the morsel to their mouth, and usually alternating their hands so while they eat from one hand the other hand is picking up the next piece of food on the ground.

There were so many monkeys visiting for the food, apparently they rely more on the park during the winter months when food is harder to come by naturally. The second image shows a view of the monkey park looking down the valley (the hot spring shown earlier is behind me)

A monkey in the snow. They had thick coats of fur that I imagine keeps them warm in this cold snowy environment.

Maybe a family of monkeys crossing the river from one part of the park to another.

This monkey was cleaning the fur of the smaller monkey, maybe they were mother and child. I liked how surprised the parent looked in the second image, like they weren't expecting their child to just leave halfway through the cleaning.

Before, during, and after bathing. I found it funny how the water made the fur stick to the monkeys bodies making them look so much smaller compared to when the fur was dry and fluffy. The fact that the fur on the head remained dry made the monkeys look even funnier when they left the water.

This mother (probably) and child enjoying the steam of the hot springs.

The Snow Monkey Park valley as seen from further away.

This photo is further down stream, outside the Snow Monkey Park proper. I believe this building is part of the original onsen and next to it is a vent that is continually releasing steam.

The footpath to the Snow Monkey Park (looking in the direction away from the park entrance). I saw one final monkey on this path while walking back to Yudanaka.

I had arrived at the park around lunch time and I spent most of the afternoon observing the monkeys, taking plenty of pictures. Previously, I have been a little afraid of monkeys when I saw them in other parts of Asia. I know they are smart and clever and can be aggressive, I have seen many signs telling tourists "beware of monkeys". Here though the monkeys were fairly chill and I felt safe observing them with the crowd. I was always careful when approaching them to take pictures, never actually leaving the designated paths. The only times a monkey actually brushed up against me was when they were trying to get from one place to another and I just happened to be standing nearby. Many of them were very cute, especially the younger ones with their huge fluffy coat of fur. Most spent their time looking for the food provided by the park staff, some though were grooming each other, some fought with each other on occasion, and of course, a few relaxed in the hot spring.

The day I visited I believe was a warmer day, by the standards of winter, and so there weren't as many monkeys in the pool as I have seen on some of the pictures. The next time I visit I would want to do so when it is snowing as I would be very eager to capture a photo of a snow monkey in the hot spring with snow landing on its fur. For now though I am satisfied with what I did see. It was a wonderful experience to spend some time out in nature and to observe the realm of the monkeys.

Thanks for reading – Edward

Written 5th of April 2025

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