Snow Monkeys

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

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Anyone visiting Shiga Kogen must visit the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Made famous a few years back by a BBC documentary on the only hot spring bathing monkeys in the world, it is now a major tourist attraction and for good reason. Seeing monkeys frolic, bathe, fight and play at the Snow Monkey park is a highlight for everyone who makes the trek.

Monkeys Like Hot Springs too…

The Snow Monkey park was built with custom monkey baths when a troupe of monkeys took up residence in a local Inn’s Rotemburo (outdoor bath). They became a pest and it was decided to build them their own bath just up the valley. The Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is reportedly the only place in the world where you can see monkeys bathing in a hot spring.

Information

Jigokudani Yaen Koen (Monkey Park) English Site
The snow monkeys park is open all year round from 9am to 4pm in winter and 8:30 to 5pm in summer, and it costs ¥500 to enter. To get to the monkey park from the car park, you will need to walk up a mountain track for around 20 minutes so make sure you have enough time (you should plan to arrive at the monkey park by 3pm at the latest). It can be quite sludgy/icy in winter, so if you have boots it would be a good idea to wear them. It is possible to make it up there in just sneakers. From Shiga you can take a bus, from Nozawa you can also take public transport however numerous transfers are required and it can be an ordeal if you are not a seasoned traveller or have small children. Ixsm travel runs tours to the monkey park from Nozawa Onsen.