Japanese Snow Monkeys at Jigokudani: Why Macaques Bathe in Hot Springs

Every winter, in a steep valley in Nagano Prefecture, wild Japanese macaques climb into a steaming hot-spring pool while snow piles up on their heads. Jigokudani Monkey Park, opened in 1964, is the most famous place to watch "snow monkeys" bathe, and photographer Jasper Doest's portraits capture the scene up close.

Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano

Jigokudani means "Hell's Valley", a name earned by the steam and boiling water that spurt from the ground. The park lies in the Yokoyu River valley in Yamanouchi, northern Nagano, inside Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park, at an altitude of 850 metres. The hot water rises from the volcanic area of Shiga Kogen.

Winters here are hard. Temperatures fall to around 10 degrees below zero and more than a metre of snow can cover the ground. Hundreds of macaques live in the surrounding forest, and the park became world-famous after appearing in the documentary Baraka.

Why the snow monkeys bathe in hot springs

According to the park, the habit started with one young monkey who tried the warm water. Others copied, and bathing has been passed down through generations. The monkeys use the pool mainly to stay warm, and they bathe most on the coldest, snowiest days. In warmer months they go in far less.

The habit seems to do them good. Research on the Jigokudani troop has linked winter bathing with lower stress levels. Not every monkey bathes, though: much of the day is spent feeding, grooming and squabbling on the snowy banks around the pool.

Japanese macaque facts

• Species: Macaca fuscata, the Japanese macaque, often called the snow monkey.
• Range: Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The population on the Shimokita Peninsula, about 500 km north of Jigokudani, makes it the northernmost non-human primate on Earth.
• Cold tolerance: it copes with temperatures down to about -20 °C, and its brownish-grey fur thickens as winter sets in.
• Size: males average about 11 kg, females about 8 kg.
• Lifespan: females can live up to 32 years, which is long for a macaque.
• Clever habits: macaques on Koshima Island famously learned to wash sweet potatoes, and snow monkeys have been seen rolling snowballs for fun.

Macaques are woven into Japanese culture too. The best known example is the "three wise monkeys" carving at Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō.

How to visit Jigokudani: access and park rules

From Nagano Station, take the Nagano Dentetsu limited express to Yudanaka (about 38 minutes), then a 15-minute bus, followed by a forest walk of around 35 minutes. An express bus from Nagano towards Shiga Kogen is another option. Drivers can park free at Kanbayashi Onsen and follow the roughly 2 km Yumichi trail, about 30 minutes on foot.

The monkeys are wild, and there are no fences between people and animals. Feeding is forbidden and no food is sold, so keep snacks in your bag and give the monkeys space. The trail is icy in winter, which is also the best season for bathing monkeys: wear boots with good grip.

Snow monkey videos from Jigokudani

These two films show the troop in motion: 長野県 地獄谷野猿公苑 【 Snow Monkey Park 】Japanese Snow Monkeys in hot spring by PhotoGalleryNorth, and Japanese Snow Monkeys, Jigokudani by Squiver Photo Tours.

Related reading

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• Red pandas in a focused winter gallery
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• Helsinki Zoo’s Brown Bears Return to the Snow
• Tateyama’s Snow Corridor and the Alpine Route
• Twenty-Three Waterfall Scenes: Winter Ice and a Mineral Lookalike
• Niseko Snowboarding: A Thirteen-Day GoPro Diary
• Twenty Cloud Photographs: Shapes, Light and Atmospheric Features
• More from Japan

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