Nagano Monkey Park

Tags: nagano, monkey-park, photography

Nagano Monkey Onsen


I still have a log of photos from my holidays taken few weeks ago.

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Today let's go to Nagano prefecture. We stayed at a pension near the Myôkô-Kôgen station (about 15/20mn by car).

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Been still autumn, no snow yet in the area.

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Getting out of the megapole Tokyo-Yokohama was quite refreshing I must say.

The family pension was close to a golf course and ski pistes (ski season starts in late December if I don't mistake).

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


A on the map below. Here is the pension HP : ShoFu Sha.

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Now let's go to visit the monkeys!

This monkey park is surrounded by onsen (spa).

Nagano Monkey Onsen


It is called the Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑 Jigokudani Yaen Kōen).

And it seems that not only monkeys take their bath outside :)

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Warnings in different languages, the French part is almost perfect!

Nagano Monkey Onsen


And these are the first monkeys I met on my way ;)

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Ms seems not so happy I took this shot...

Nagano Monkey Onsen


As you can see they are not really parked but free to move anywhere, been raised in there, I guess they don't go away often though...

Nagano Monkey Onsen


First time I've been so close of free wild animals! They are mostly calm, but still sometimes there are some fights between males (we can some scar faces..). They are wild animals with good teeth so better not to bother them too much anyway!

Nagano Monkey Onsen


There was quite many of them, I mean the monkeys, few visitors also...

Nagano Monkey Onsen


A photographer with a cool lens, I wished I had one like this at this time.

Nagano Monkey Onsen


But as I said we could go very close from the monkeys (as long as we would not excite them) and managed to take some decent shots.

Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Nagano Monkey Onsen


Yes, my family adapted quickly to our new environment :

Nagano Monkey Onsen



Links :

Official homepage of the Monkey Park.

The live web camera to watch them : Real time monkey onsen ! (you can click on the previous hours (left column) to see them if they don't appear at the moment, check around 10:00 am you won't miss them)

The monkey face image was from here : monkey face button.

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<-Tottori Prefecture   BFF Tokyo 2009->