The Jigokudani Yaen-koen is located in the Valley of Yokoyu River which takes its water from Shiga-Kogen of the Jyoshinetsu-Kogen National Park in the northern part of Nagano prefecture. Looking at the very steep cliffs and the fountains of hot water, people started to call the valley ‘Jigokudani (Hell valley)’. The altitude is 850 meters, winter seasons in Jigokudani is so harsh, for example, temperatures drops to 10 degrees below zero and snow falls over 1 meter.

The Japanese macaques, well known as snow monkey (hereinafter called ‘monkeys’), inhabit all part of Japan except Hokkaido and Okinawa.

The best way to watch wild monkeys is to visit the Jigokudani Yaen-koen. Our objective is to provide a place where everybody can watch closely monkeys’ biology in a natural environment.

There are no fences between monkeys and us. We can enter and see their world under natural condition.

Though monkeys in Jigokudani are well known as bathing monkeys, bathing is a measure to protect them against the extreme cold during winter seasons. Therefore they reluctant to take a bath during other warm seasons. Bathing is a small portion of their life.

There is a lot of interesting biology of monkeys more than bathing, why don’t you try to find it? Each season has unique ways to have fun with monkeys’ observation.

*In summer season, baby monkeys born in the spring start playing with other babies in a short distance away from their mothers. Basically monkeys are not good with hot season, adult monkeys rest in the shade for long time of a day. But young monkeys are still active.

Opening hour: Summer season (generally between April – October) / Start About8:30　End About17:00

Winter season(generally between November – March) / Start About9:00　End About16:00

Admission Fee (consumption tax included) : Adult 800yen / Child 400yen

Location: 6845 Yamanouchi-town, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano, Japan 381-0401

MAPCODE: 341 820 505*86

2023.08