Established in 1964, the Jigokudani Monkey Park was created as a refuge for a local troop of monkeys who now frequent the park on a daily basis. With approximately 150 to 160 monkeys – Japanese macaques to be exact – in the troop, you are likely to encounter many on any given day and with no barriers separating the monkeys from visitors, a visit to the park is a rare chance to walk through and between wild animals going about their lives. The monkeys have achieved global fame for their unique behaviour of soaking in 'onsen' (hot springs) and ability to thrive in the deep snow of winter. But don’t let that fool you, the monkeys come to the park throughout the year and are just as entertaining in spring, summer and autumn.

The park is accessed via a 1.6km/1 mile forest trail starting from Kanbayashi Onsen. The trail is well-maintained and takes most visitors 25-30 minutes to walk (in each direction). In winter, the trail is likely to be affected by snow and ice, and visitors should proceed with caution. Reasonable mobility and good quality footwear are required to walk the trail in winter. Winter is the most likely time to see the monkey soaking in their hot spring – one of Nagano’s most curious and memorable experiences.

WHERE IS THE JIGOKUDANI MONKEY PARK?

The Jigokudani Monkey Park – often referred to as the Snow Monkey Park – is around 35KM / 50-minutes to the north-east of central Nagano City. Open every day, the monkeys come to the park through the year making it one of Nagano’s most popular attractions, When heading to the park using public transport, it will be easiest to do so from Nagano Station, from where an express bus runs directly to Kanbayashi Onsen – where the park is located – or alternatively, you can take the Nagano Dentetsu railway to Yudanaka Station – the nearest train station to the park – and from there, take a local bus to the park. Both options take around 50 to 55-minutes in total to get here. The park is located in the small hot spring village of Kanbayashi Onsen, which itself is located in the wider region of Yamanouchi – a region including the park, multiple hot spring villages, Shiga Kogen Ski Resort, the smaller ski resorts of Kita-Shiga Kogen and Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. Within easy reach of Nagano City, visiting the monkey park as a day-trip is easy while also providing lots of reasons to stay in the area on a multi-day visit.