VIARAMI
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Japanese macaque monkey sitting on a rock.

Jigokudani Monkey Park

Jōshin’etsu-kōgen National Park is a national park in the region of Chūbu in Japan. The park on the main island of Japan, Honshū, is spans across the prefectures Gunma, Nagano, and Niigata and has several active and dormant volcanoes on its territory.

Autumn path in a Japanese forest with golden leaves.
Dirt road leading to autumnal forest on hillside.
Japanese garden with autumn foliage; vibrant red and orange maple leaves contrast against evergreen trees.
Person photographing autumnal grasslands and forest in Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, Japan.
Sunlight streams through the trees in a forest.
Sunlight dappled through a dense Japanese forest.
Sunlight filtering through a dense Japanese forest.
Dense forest of tall, slender trees on a hillside; some trees are bare.
Aerial view of a valley with a river, footpaths, a bridge, and small buildings.
Water geyser erupting from a man-made structure near a rocky river.

Inside the national park, in the valley of the Yokoyu-River, is the Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑, Jigokudani Yaen Kōen) located. The name of the park comes from a large population of wild Japanese macaques, who retreat to the valley in winter.

A highlight for visitors is swimming in the warm waters of the onsen (Hotsprings). Especially at warm temperatures and without snow the monkeys do without a warming bath.

A photographer takes a picture of a Japanese macaque sitting on rocks in a forest.
Black and white photo of a person standing on a stone wall, looking at a monkey sitting on the wall below. A forest is in the background.
Japanese macaque sitting on a rock.
Japanese macaque monkey sitting on a rock.
Person photographing Japanese macaques on a stone wall.
Small monkey walking on rocks.
Monkey crossing a rocky river.
A Japanese macaque walking on a gravel path.
Monkey bathing in a Japanese onsen.
Japanese macaques bathing in a hot spring, with tourists taking photos.
Tourists observe monkeys near a natural hot spring in Japan.
Two monkeys on a path winding through a forest hillside.
Japanese countryside landscape with mountains in the background and a small shed in the foreground.
Japanese macaque monkey climbing a red and white railing.

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