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Jigokudani Monkey Park
地獄谷野猿公苑Nagano · Chubu
A wildlife park in the Yokoyu River valley (850m altitude) inside Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park, Yamanouchi, Nagano, where wild Japanese macaques descend from the surrounding forest to bathe in a natural steaming hot spring pool built for them. Established in 1964, it lets visitors observe the monkeys up close with no fences or barriers separating people and animals.
- Crowd level
- Popular
- Rating
- 4.5· 11,337 reviews
- Opening hours
- Daily 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Admission
- Adults (18+) ¥800; children (6-17) ¥400; under 6 free. No advance online reservation (park was piloting online ticket sales as of April 2026) — purchased on-site. Separate Kanbayashi/Jigokudani parking lot charges ¥500. Best season winter (Dec-Mar) for peak monkey numbers; open year-round, no fixed holidays.
- Nearest station
- Yudanaka Station (Nagano Dentetsu/Nagaden Line, via limited express "Yukemuri"/"Snowmonkey" from Nagano Station, ~45 min)
- Website
- jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
8:30–17:00Admission
- Adults (18+) ¥800; children (6-17) ¥400; under 6 free. No advance online reservation (park was piloting online ticket sales as of April 2026) — purchased on-site. Separate Kanbayashi/Jigokudani parking lot charges ¥500. Best season winter (Dec-Mar) for peak monkey numbers; open year-round, no fixed holidays.
Stored weekly hours
Daily 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
How to get there
From Yudanaka Station, local bus (~15 min) to "Kanbayashi Onsen-guchi"/Snow Monkey Park stop, then walk roughly 30-35 minutes on an unpaved forest trail (~1.6-2km, the Yumichi Natural Trail) to the park entrance — no vehicle access to the park itself, uneven unpaved path (not wheelchair/cart accessible).
Tags
wildlifeonsennature
Location
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