- Address: Japan, 〒381-0401 Nagano Prefecture, Shimotakai District, Yamanouchi, Hirao
- Phone: +81 269-33-4379
- Website: jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp
On the island of Honshu, in the vicinity of the Japanese city of Nagano, there is an unusual place - Jigokudani Park. Most of the winter here is snow and the average temperature is -5 ° C, because the park is at an altitude of 850 m above sea level.
Local residents have long dubbed this territory "Valley of Hell": they were frightened by steam, rising from the cracks in the ground and from boiling water. Today it is a popular place of pilgrimage for tourists who come here to admire the unusual behavior of local animals.
Where is the Monkey Park of Jigokudani?
It is part of one of the national parks of Japan - Joshinetsu Kogen. The reserve area is located in the north of Nagano Prefecture and is one of its main attractions.
What is interesting about the park?
So, the main feature of the Jigokudani are representatives of the local fauna - monkeys of the Makak Fuscat breed, or Snow monkey. They have thick gray-brown fur that warms well in the cold. And additional heat is given to animals by sitting in natural baths, built by nature itself. To study their appearance and habits is easy, because macaques day and night mlejut in warm thermal waters, where they huddle together. About 200 monkeys live in the park.
Interestingly, these primates are the most enduring in terms of climatic conditions, and are able to survive even at -15 ° C. However, in particularly severe cold, animals become unwitting hostages of water: leaving on land, they are covered with a crust of ice. But the intelligent ancestors of man have found a way out: every day a few macaques go out on "duty" and bring food to those who bask in the baths. They feed on animals with berries and leaves, insects, bark and kidneys of trees, plant roots, bird eggs. Close to evening, primates leave the bath, dry up and return to the forest, where they spend the night. By the way, they dry too very funny, touching each other's wool.
Arriving in Japan in the summer, you will also be able to see monkeys who love water so much that in the warm season they find small ponds where they escape from the heat, bathe and play fun.
About the snow monkeys from the park Jigokudani in Japan, there is even a legend, as if for the first time one of the females climbed into the hot spring to collect the beans scattered there. She liked that it was warm in the water, and since then hot baths in the Monkey Park of Gigokudani have become a tradition.
Features of visit
Macaques do not just luxuriate in the water, but they also positively posit for tourists. But be careful: these intelligent animals can even snatch a phone or camera from an unlucky paparazzi. For this reason, it is not recommended to take photographic equipment out of covers in the immediate vicinity of monkeys.
In order not to provoke primates to aggression, one should not get too close to animals, touch them, look them in the eyes and feed them. It is also better not to make sudden movements.
The park operates in winter - from 9:00 to 16:00, and in the warm season - from 8:30 to 17:00 daily. However, in unfavorable weather conditions, the administration reserves the right to close the entrance to the park.
The admission cost is about $ 4 for adults and half for children. Kids under 5 years old are admitted to the park for free.
How to get to Jigokudani?
The reservation of Japanese macaques is not the easiest way. The city of Nagano and the capital of Japan are 230 km apart. At Nagano Station, take the Dentetsu train to Yudanak. From there you will need to get to the city of Canbaiisi-Onsen, and then cross about 2 km along a narrow forest trail, often covered with snow. She will lead to the Monkey Park Jigukudani.