“Snowfall in Yamanouchi”
Yamanouchi, Japan. February 2019. (12 photos)
This is part 7 of my Japan 2018-19 photo series.
Nagano, the home of the 1998 Winter Olympics is a city in Japan, about 173km northwest of Tokyo. By shinkansen (the bullet train) it takes about 90 minutes to get there from Tokyo. Northeast of Nagano one finds Jigokudani Yaen Koen, near the town of Yamanouchi. It is part of the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.
“Snow falling on cedars”
At 850m above sea level, heavy snowfall covers the area for about four months each year. A solitary narrow 2km path leads through the forest to Jigokudani Yaen Koen.
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
“Serenity now”
“The road to “hell””
At the end of the trail, one reaches Jigokudani Yaen Koen. The name Jigokudani, means “Hell’s Valley”, and it is so named due to the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of small crevices in the frozen ground, forming natural onsen (hot springs) surrounded by steep cliffs and cold and hostile forests. But these hot baths are not for humans; rather they’re for the local inhabitants, snow monkeys. If you weren’t aware of it, Jigokudani Yaen Koen is more popularly known as snow monkey park.
“What you looking at?”
The park is famous for its large population of wild Japanese macaques, more commonly known as snow monkeys, that go to the valley during the winter, foraging elsewhere in the national park during the warmer months. The monkeys descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the hot waters of the onsen, and return to the security of the forests in the evenings.
“Feels sooo good”
“Shared bodily warmth”
“Somebody’s watching me”
There are live webcams at snow monkey park. Anyone watching it at a certain time on a certain day would have seen me clearly. Fortunately, the footage is not archived.
“I’m never getting out of this onsen”
Wild monkeys bathing in hot springs. Only in Japan. Seriously.
“Contemplative”
“Happy trails”
You’ve probably realised I didn’t take these photos during my trip to Japan in autumn, October/November 2018. Rather, I took these last week during a return visit to Japan for 8 days, in the Japanese winter. I could call this part 1 of my Japan in winter 2019 photo series, but I won’t.
…
This is part 7 of my Japan 2018-19 photo series.
These shots are amazing. The location seems almost magical and its inhabitants have such wonderfully expressive faces. Were you there all alone?
Thank you. It’s a unique experience and location. There were plenty of other people around but I was fortunate to get clean backgrounds for most of my photos.
I would imagine that a place like that would be swamped with people. Personally it seems like it would be best enjoyed in a somewhat meditative state–I tend to like to enjoy nature in solitude.
I agree, it would be fantastic to be there without others to distract, but that’s not possible for a place like this. Still, it was actively snowing and cold. There weren’t as many people there as I thought there might be.
Good post!
Thanks.
Four months of snow! No wonder the snow monkeys like those hot baths. Wonderful and informative pictures from you as usual!
Thank you. They went about their business as if the humans weren’t there. Quite an experience.
Almost like a wintry Middle Earth. Brilliant images!
Mount Doom could never look so beautiful. 🙂 Thank you kindly.
Be still my beating heart, those snow monkeys bring tears. They touch me deeply. I cannot imagine how you felt to be so near them. How fortunate to have witnessed this magnificent creatures.
Visiting the snow monkeys of Jigokudani was the core element of my trip to Japan this time; the only planned event. It was such a beautiful experience to be there with them, in that environment. I hope you have the chance to see them for yourself sometime, Sally.
Call it whatever nothing takes away from these photos. Simply wonderful and what a great experience to see them.
Thank you so much. Yes, a hard name to say, but an experience not easily forgotten.
i’m not really into winter, but this is amazing. Those macaques are precious. I watched many documentaries about them. Incredible creatures.
It was my main reason for going to Japan in winter. I’m glad I went to see and experience them. I didn’t particularly want to leave.
Yeah? Were they happy to see you too?
Who knows? Well, they didn’t throw snowballs at me. LOL 🙂
Which is a good sign. They can be nasty when they are not lazy.
Yes, that thought was in my mind.
Those monkeys look so happy.
Yes, and you should have seen the smile on my face. :))
Beautiful images Draco! I saw a documentary about the snow monkeys at Jigokudani last year and it’s lovely to see them enjoying the hot springs here through your lens 🙂🐒
Thank you very much, Xenia. It was a beautiful experience amongst the snow monkeys.
Absolutely delightful and beautiful, Lignum. The monkey in the first shot looks prepared to repel invaders with snowballs if necessary and the expression on the one in the water is priceless. Nice to have you back on my blogging radar.
janet
Thank you, Janet. I was wondering if any of them were going to throw snowballs at me, but I was safe. 🙂 It was amazing how close you could get to them without them being startled – within a couple of feet. It was a great experience.
Wow! What pictures!
By the way, I love the novel Snow Falling on Cedars. 😉 And the movie too.
Thank you kindly. Yes, that book title came to mind very quickly. 🙂
PS It seems my recent comment on your blog may have disappeared to the spam box immediately. I may have used that 2 letter combination again.
Gorgeous photos, but boy it looks cold! How on earth did you cope with it coming from a hot Aussie summer?
Thank you, Jude. Yes, it was up to 34C on the day I left Sydney and I arrived to 2C in Tokyo. The plane arrived at 5:30am. I dropped off my bags and went for a walk. In the middle of the Shinjuku Gyoen (National Gardens) it started to snow, heavily! But it was all good and I was ready for the cold. I did want a break from the heat in Australia. My hands suffered the worst – I can’t use a camera when I’m wearing gloves. 🙂
And camera batteries hate the cold too!
Very true.
Ohhh my!! The two photos of the monkey in the bath with that look on its face are worth every yen you might have spent there. Somehow it puts everything in the perspective. The question is whether you joined them in there, since you’re worried about the camera feed archives. 😀 😀 Excellent stuff!!
Yes, that monkey in the hot springs was hilarious. We can all appreciate what he’s experiencing through his facial expression. Did I join him? I’ll have to leave that to your imagination. 🙂
Back in Japan so soon? I hope to be someplace warmer and without snow soon. And yes! Sometimes you have to get the special photo gloves to work the camera in the cold or suffer the consequences of numb digits 😉
Actually, I didn’t know I had a week off until 2 weeks beforehand. Since I was suffering in the local extreme heatwave, I wanted to go somewhere cooler, and Japan just seemed right. 🙂 I had the ice cleats for my shoes but not the photo gloves – live and learn.
Indeed a winter wonderland! I especially like the photo of the monkey taking bath. Its facial expression is unique 🙂
I agree. I think he was a very popular photographic subject that day. 🙂 It was a lovely stroll through the forest to get there.
Now these are incredibly beautiful photos of the snow monkeys! How surprised I was to see you went back for them! From the documentaries I have seen, I love them, but your photos are even better than those on TV. You have captured precious moments and I know – I would not have wanted to leave either… Thank you for posting to all of us!
An unexpected week off at short notice, but an easy holiday destination to choose, particularly because a friend of mine had been to see the snow monkeys in January. And it snowed whilst I was there, so I had the full experience. Loved it. I’m glad the photos show my enjoyment of my visit.
♥
I am loving those little monkeys in the hot springs. Ah shame no photos of you (but to be expected ha ha). Fab snow photos.
Thanks, Sue. The monkeys were quite entertaining; wild but used to humans and cameras. LOL 🙂 It’s a very picturesque location.
Love the expressions on the snow monkeys! They must have been hard to leave 😀 We just had snow here last week…soooo peaceful, as you’ve captured in your photos! Unfortunately the rain is back here and it is almost all gone now. 😢
It snowed the day I was there so I was happy to have the full experience. Indeed, it was very peaceful. Loved watching the monkeys and being so close to them.
How wonderful to be back in Japan so soon. I love the expressions of the faces of the monkeys (monkey?) in the hot spring. I should get out of the Hiroshima-Tokyo urban belt next time I’m there.
You’re right, it’s the same monkey in both photos of the hot springs. There were 9 monkeys in and around the pool, but that facial expression won out for inclusion in this post. 🙂 It was an easy decision to go back to Japan once I knew I had the time off. There is so much more I want to see as well, including Hiroshima.
Worthy of the National Geographic!
You’re far too generous. Thank you. 🙂
My gosh, you are paranoid about being seen. 😂 I’ve seen photos of this place before. Like another world altogether. Truly magical.
More careful than paranoid. 🙂 It’s a beautiful place. The necessary trek through the winter forest to see monkeys roaming freely and bathing in hot springs. A truly unique experience.
These are wonderful shots Mr Draco … I just adore these monkeys relaxing and enjoying the warmth. You have captured something so very special … Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Julie. It was cold and snowing yet I was incredibly reluctant to leave those monkeys. It was a fabulous experience.
The expressions on their faces, clinging to the side of the onsen. Priceless! 🙂 🙂
I visited an onsen in Kyoto. I know exactly what that monkey is feeling. His face says it all.
great photos and article I wanna book a flight to Japan
Thanks. Yes, definitely visit Japan.
Reminds me of the snowy views near my home in the Philadelphia suburbs —
I wish!
Neil Scheinin
You can dream. 🙂
This is a fairy tale! You are lucky to have seen their blissful moments.
It’s a unique sight and experience. It was the main reason I went to Nagano in winter and I wasn’t disappointed.
Beautiful pictures!
Thank you very much.
You escaped being seen… again! I think it’s a mark of a good photographer who manages to always be unseen. 😉 This must be the Japanese Narnia, quite magical!
Those monkey are so funny… their faces are positively human, they even have little beards! 😅
Narnia- that’s a great analogy. It did seem like a wintery fantasyland and watching them soak in the hot springs was incredible. I wanted to get in there as well – it was so cold. 🙂