Kanbayashi – Nagono – Japan
February 24, 2025
Walking the trail to Snow Monkey Park
Snow Monkey Park was established in 1964 as a conservation area.
It is a one-mile walk from the entry to the park itself. It had been snowing heavily, so the large clods of snow falling from the trees were a tad scary. When they did fall, it was so much snow you had to just stop until it finished because you could not see a thing. The path is also not for the faint of heart. While it wasn’t steep, it was covered in snow and ice, making the walk very slow.
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Along the walk is Tsubone Weir, which irrigates the local rice paddies. The dam and waterway were completed in 1885. A conduit carrying hot spring water to the spas at the base of the mountain lies under the road.
Active geysers in the area.
Jigokudani, where the park is located, means “hell valley”. These thermal pools and water make this area famous for its onsens, of which there are many to choose from. I was staying at the Kanbayashi Hotel Senjukaku. I chose it because it was the closest to the park. It was adequate with an absolutely delightful staff.
Snow monkeys are macaques. They are called “snow monkeys” because some live in areas where snow covers the ground for months each year.
The Japanese macaque is prominently featured in Japanese religion, folklore, and art, as well as in proverbs and idiomatic expressions in the Japanese language.
In Shinto, mythical beasts known as raijū sometimes appeared as monkeys and kept Raijin, the god of lightning, company. The “three wise monkeys”, who warn people to “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil”, are carved in relief over the door of the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, which I visited last December.
Macaques live to be about 30 years old in the wild.
Japanese macaques have the northernmost range of the world’s non-human primates.
Like most primates, the Japanese macaque is a very social species, living in groups called ‘troops‘ of around 30 individuals.
The pool where the monkeys congregate for the tourists to photograph is man-made.
Snow Monkeys can survive temperatures as low as -20 degrees C or -4 F
The bare, bright-colored face of a Japanese macaque exaggerates their facial expressions and allows them to communicate more effectively with one another.
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Recent studies suggest they develop different ‘accents’ based on their regional groups, similar to human culture. Macaque troops separated by hundreds of miles were found to have different pitches to their calls and range of vocalizations.
Tigokudani Monkey
The manhole cover of Yamounuchi
Yamounuchi is the home of snow monkeys and a town in Nagano Prefecture. The region is known for its crisp and flavorful apples, particularly the Shinano Sweet and Fuji varieties.
