In the valley of the Yokoyu River in Nagano Prefecture, wild Japanese macaques climb down from the snowy forest and settle into a steaming hot-spring pool. GoPro filmed them up close at Jigokudani in April 2013, putting the camera right at the waterline among wet fur and curious faces.
Jigokudani: the snow monkey park in Nagano
Jigokudani Yaen-koen, the Wild Snow Monkey Park, lies in Yamanouchi at about 850 metres above sea level, inside Jōshin'etsu Kōgen National Park. The name Jigokudani means "Hell's Valley", after the steam and boiling water that rise from the steep, forested gorge.
The park opened in 1964 to study the social life of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), the most northerly living non-human primates. Snow covers the ground for about four months a year, and in winter the troop comes down into the valley, where attendants feed them and the warm onsen water draws them in. Local accounts say the monkeys first copied people by climbing into a nearby ryokan's hot spring, which led to a dedicated pool for them.
Fame followed. Life magazine introduced the bathing monkeys to readers around the world, BBC nature films featured them, and they became unofficial mascots of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
The GoPro film at the hot spring
The clip's charm is in the small details a waterline camera picks up: a macaque leaning in to inspect the lens, two animals sitting shoulder to shoulder, water beading on thick winter fur. Japanese macaques grow dense coats for mountain winters, and the pool gives them a warm place to sit while the forest around them stays white.
Filming like this is no longer possible for visitors. Park rules now prohibit cameras placed in the bath, selfie sticks and drones, so today's photographs are taken from the walkways around the pool.
How to get to Jigokudani
The park can only be reached on foot. A forest path of about 2 kilometres runs from the Kanbayashi area to the pool, a walk of roughly 30 to 35 minutes through cedar woods.
- By bus from Nagano Station: the Shiga Kōgen line bus from the east exit takes about 45 minutes to the Snow Monkey Park stop.
- By train and bus: the Nagaden line runs from Nagano to Yudanaka in about 45 minutes, followed by an 8-minute local bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop.
- By car: about 15 kilometres from the Shinshu-Nakano interchange.
Opening hours are roughly 8:30 to 17:00 from April to October and 9:00 to 16:00 from November to March. The hot-spring town of Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen, with its public bathhouses, makes a good base for an overnight stay.
Best season and visitor rules
December to March is the classic snow-monkey season, when the valley is white and the monkeys spend the most time in the pool. From May to August visitors often see newborns, and late October to early November brings autumn colour. The monkeys are wild and some days they stay away, so check the park's updates before travelling.
Wear snow boots in winter: the trail gets icy, and simple crampons are recommended, with rentals at the trailhead. The path is unpaved with steps, so wheelchairs and carts cannot use it.
The official Jigokudani visitor guidance is short and clear:
- Do not feed the monkeys or show them food.
- Do not touch them, shout at them or stare into their eyes.
- Step away if a curious young monkey comes close.
- Pets are not allowed, and keep phones and cameras at a respectful distance.
Related reading
- Japanese Snow Monkeys: Portraits at Jigokudani
- Bao Bao’s first snow at the Smithsonian National Zoo
- Mount Fuji’s changing viewpoints
- Hidenobu Suzuki’s Mount Fuji Photographs
- Kinkaku-ji in Winter: Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion and Its Garden
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