What is Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Nagano Japan and why should you visit? | Our Experience

What is Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Nagano Japan and why should you visit? | Our Experience

0:00 The hike “We are hiking up to see snow monkeys!”
0:26 The mountains of Nagano Japan
0:38 Second and final day in Nagano Japan
1:01 One hour outside of Nagano’s city center Jikogu-dani Snow Monkey Park
1:22 The monkeys of the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
2:29 Located at the base of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park
2:41 Created in 1964
4:31 “Monkey see, monkey do”
5:54 The review
6:41 The bloopers
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For the past 60 years visitors have been flocking to the mountains of Nagano Japan for one very exciting reason.

This is our second and final day in the winter playground of Nagano Japan. Thus far we have been able to ski the world famous Hakuba Happo-one Snow Resort and experience the culturally significant Zenkoji Temple with it’s fantastic Zenkoji Nakamise Dori.

Now just 1 hour outside of Nagano’s city center we will explore the Jikogudani Valley and it’s spectacular Snow Monkey Park!

The monkeys of the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park are famous for being the only troop of monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs.

Located at the base of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, the Jigokudani Monkey Park– often referred to as the Snow Monkey Park – is home to a very special troop of monkeys.

Created in 1964, the park was established as a conservation area in which the monkeys, Japanese macaques to be exact, would have a refuge within what was already their natural habitat.

Once in the park, the naturally curious monkeys observed humans using the hot spring of a nearby ryokan guesthouse and before long, started copying the behavior. A simple case of monkey see, monkey do. The rest as they say, is history.