Japan´s Jigokudani Monkey Park
Is in Yamanouchi, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. It is part of the Joshin-etsu Kogen National Park, and is located in the valley of the Yokoyu-River, in the Northern part of the prefecture. The name Jigokudani, meaning "Hell´s valley" is due to the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of small crevices in the frozen ground, surrounded by steep cliffs and formidably cold and hostile forests.
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| Jigokudani(hell valley) hot spring |
In this place snow covers the ground for 4 months a year, the heavy snowfalls, an elevation of 850 metres and being only accesible via a narrow 2 km(1.24 mi) footpath through the forest, keep it uncrowded despite being relatively well-known.
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| Monkey looking pool |
The Jigokudani Monkey Park it is famous for its large population of wild Japanese Macaques(Macaca fuscata), more commonly referred to as Snow Monkeys, that go to the valley during the winter, foraging elsewhere in the national park during the warmer months. Starting in 1963, the monkeys descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the warn waters of the onsen (hotsprings), and return to the security of the forest in the evenings.
Jigokudani Yaenkoen. You might not have heard that name but you have probably heard about a place in Nagano where you can see "snow monkeys" taking an onsen(Is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language). The Jigokudani Yaenkoen park opened in 1964 and since then many thousands of people from around the world have visited the park to observe the lifestyle of the Japanese Macaque. The Japanes Macaque is a monkey species native to the northern Japan, and is the most northern-living non-human primate, surviving winter temperatures of below -15 °C(5 °F). They have brown-gray fur, a red face, hands and bottom, and a short tail and often seem remakably human like.
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| Monkey taking an onsen |
In the wild they spend most of their time in forests and feed on seeds, buds, fruit, invertebrates, berries, leaves, and bark. The monkeys have a body length ranging from 80 to 95 cm(2.64 ft to 3.12 ft). The males weigh around 10-14 kg while the females are usually around 5.5kg.
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| Group of monkeys taking an onsen. |
The relaxing sensation of soaking in an onsen or Japanese hot spring is so pupular that even the country´s monkeys take part in the tradition. Snow monkey soak in the hot springs on winter days and return to the forest at nigth.
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| Tourist in Jigokudani Monkey Park |
Tourist are welcome to walk the mile-long path through the forest to see the snow monkeys in their spa.
If you want to visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park, you can enter:
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