The monkeys do not get in to wash as we do, but only when it is more than 10 degrees below zero.
At 850 metres in the Yokoyu River valley, the macaques get into the pool dug specially for them only to warm up: from November to March, below -10°C, they stay in for a long time, but in summer the pool stays empty and the monkeys keep away from the water.
Nature reserve in the volcanic gorge of Jigokudani (‘valley of hell’, from the steam rising from the ground), managed for observing wild Japanese macaques. Opened in 1964, it came about when a macaque happened to discover the outdoor bath of the nearby inn; for hygiene reasons a pool just for them was dug inside the park. Photos of the monkeys in the onsen made the cover of LIFE in 1970.
ℹ️ Open 8:30–17:00 (shorter winter hours, roughly 9:00–16:00). You reach it on foot from the car park along a path through the woods.
🚉 Kanbayashi Onsen · 26 min walk
Holidays in Japan? Plan them with us.Over 2,000 real places, a day-by-day itinerary.FreeOpen the map →Sources: jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp · nta.co.jp
Nearby
Shibu Onsen2.6 kmphoto by Totti · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shiga Kōgen (Maruike)3.2 kmphoto by Photographed by Qurren ( talk ), with IXY Digital 10 compact digital camera. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hokusai-kan13.7 kmphoto by キャンター · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kusatsu-Shirane14.1 kmphoto by Ski Mania · Public domain