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Jigokudani Monkey Park
地獄谷野猿公苑 · Yamanouchi, Nagano
Snow monkeys in hot springs: the world's only 'monkey spa'
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- Taboos: chasing monkeys for close-ups, and blocking their paths. Remember: they're wild animals, not actors.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Por qué es tan popular
Images of wild Japanese macaques bathing in an open-air hot spring in the snow have been famous worldwide since they appeared on the cover of the US magazine 'LIFE' in 1970 and were covered by global media during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics; videos of 'snow monkeys blissfully closing their eyes' on TikTok and YouTube are the top symbol of winter Japan, drawing more than 250,000 foreign visitors a year.
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
'Jigokudani' (Hell Valley) is the general name for volcanic geothermal valleys; the park was founded in 1964 to protect monkeys that had been coming down into villages as their habitat shrank, and 'people and monkeys living together' is its philosophy. Nearby Shibu Onsen is a 1,300-year-old spa town famous for its 'tour of nine baths'.
Costumbres locales
- Touching, feeding or looking monkeys in the eye (they see it as a challenge) is strictly forbidden
- keep your distance and don't push a selfie stick at them
- zip up your bag (monkeys will rummage)
- don't shout to drive them away.
Religión y creencias
None. Japan's animist view of nature is the cultural backdrop to the closeness between people and monkeys.
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
No lo haga DON'T
Taboos: chasing monkeys for close-ups, and blocking their paths. Remember: they're wild animals, not actors.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
Staff appreciate visitors who 'watch quietly and follow directions'
Plan your visit
Información práctica
| Cómo llegar | From Nagano Station take the Nagaden line to Yudanaka Station and change to a bus, or take a direct bus from Nagano Station |
|---|
Consejos de viaje
- December–March is bathing season (on warm days the monkeys don't go in)
- admission JPY 800, 9:00–16:00 in winter
- from the bus stop it's about a 30-minute walk on a mountain path, so be sure to wear non-slip snow boots
- access: from Nagano Station take the Nagaden line to Yudanaka Station and change to a bus, or take a direct bus from Nagano Station
- stay a night at Shibu Onsen.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
There's no food in the park — eat in Yudanaka or Shibu Onsen
Imprescindible
- Soba
- Onsen manjū
- Shinshū miso dishes
Soba, onsen manjū, Shinshū miso dishes, nozawana pickles, apple desserts / local sake
| Dónde comer | Simple meals at the shop by the park entrance (seasonal), restaurants in the Yudanaka onsen town |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Absolutely never feed the monkeys or show them food (they'll snatch it) — keep food packed in your bag; in the onsen town you can usually go into shops in yukata and geta |
| Precio orientativo por persona | JPY 1,500–2,500 ≈ CNY 68–113 |
| Consejos | Winter mountain paths are slippery — eat well in the onsen town before entering the park; eat onsen manjū while hot. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
M yanagisawa · CC0
Photos
Fotos
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迷惘的人生 · CC BY-SA 2.0
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迷惘的人生 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Daisuke tashiro from Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Fuentes y notas de verificación
- In-depth research on Japanese sights (2026-10-15). Sources: japan-guide.com
- the park's official notice at nagaden-net.co.jp.
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