I have seen photos of the snow monkeys of Nagano Prefecture for many years in magazines and nature documentaries and always wanted to go visit this strange and magical place. I finally had my chance on a winter trip to Japan, so my crew made the trip to this remote area to see them. We took the train from Shinjuku Station to Yudanaka which was a three hour trip into the snowy mountainous region of Japan.

EXPERIENCE

Since our trip began in Tokyo, we ventured north to Nagano Prefecture in search of the Japanese macaque which is native to the country. Once we arrived by train, we found the town to be very quaint and charming albeit a bit abandoned feeling. Our visit to Yudanaka was quiet and relaxing, a nice contrast to the previous few wild nights in the land of the neon sun. This area is cold and snowy this time of year and popular with skiers after the 1998 Olympic games in Nagano.

The Jigokudani Monkey Park was what we came for. We got dropped off at the entrance of the park the day after arriving and hiked the 35 minutes through the snow to reach the natural hot springs where the monkeys bathe. They are really wonderful to view in this natural environment and the hike makes this a nice little adventure. Though the town was quiet sleepy this time of year, the monkey park was popular.

We continued our hike right out of the park and back towards town putting in a total of about eight miles for the day. While Yudanaka feels a bit abandon and past its prime, it has a few charming restaurants and the Tamamura Honten Brewery (the best in Japan!)  that made the day fun. There was a local dart bar, yet few other establishments were open off season. We got the impression that many people come by train for a day trip from Tokyo, but I’d highly recommend staying at least one night to get the full experience and enjoy the onsens. Our delightful, authentic accommodations while here were an essential part of this excursion. We enjoyed several piping hot soaks in the onsens in our hotel.

STAY

We had an absolutely wonderful stay in Yudanaka at a traditional Ryokan. The guesthouse was called Yudanaka Yumoto. The ryokan had mats on the floor for us to sleep in traditional accommodations. The tatami area was lovely and we spent lots of time drinking and snacking in the room between activities. The hotel had a male and female nude onsen on premise, some of which was out and some of which was indoors. The onsens here were very hot and had great shower facilities and robes provided for scurrying through the chilly corridors back to our rooms.

EAT

The food in Yudanaka was really special. I had a wonderful Japanese curry here at the most popular restaurant in town called HAKKO Yamanouchi. This place surprised us with their awesome local beer selection, which we later found out came from the local brewery. Mushrooms, like shiitake, are grown in the region. We had one of our most special meals of the trip right in the ryokan, cooked by our host. The Farmhouse near the monkey park was a great place to sample the local beers also, we really loved the spicy chiles ale. Mikasa was a great traditional spot for tempura and mini hot pot for lunch. Another restaurant that looked nice here was GOEN right near the train station. If you have a chance to dine at the Yudanaka Yumoto, take it!

Overall this was a fun stop on our trip and a great way to see the mountains and experience snow in Japan.