One of the more unique experiences that I had during my stay in Japan involved a trip to Jigokudani Monkey Park. My co-worker was kind enough to drive and accompany me on this trip.

Jigokudani Monkey Park features a hot spring pool in and around which the wild Japanese macaques congregate. When I visited, the birthing season had just finished and there were infant monkeys of varying ages roaming around or, more often than not, clinging to their parents. The monkeys are used to humans and readily go about their daily business as if we weren’t around. But, I was still cautious and maintained a comfortable distance from them. They are wild animals after all. Although it was relatively hot, there were still monkeys in the hot spring and occasionally, an employee would throw food into the hot spring to encourage the monkeys into the water. 

When not in the water, the monkeys were engaged in various activities such as grooming their fur, climbing fences, and chasing each other. We even caught a glimpse of a mother breastfeeding her child. I found that the babies in particular had rather mesmerizing faces and eyes. 

The actual park area with the hot spring and monkeys is very small. We only spent about 30 minutes there before heading to the small giftshop and then moving onto our next destination. However, you could certainly spend longer especially if you’re interested in wildlife photography.

Although we only made a short visit, I have to admit that I really loved this serene and intimate environment that allowed you to see these wild animals living life as they normally would (for the most part). It was a much more calm and enjoyable experience than feeding deer in Nara Park (which you’ll hear about in an upcoming post). If you’re in the area, I’d recommend making the visit.