Snow Monkey Park

Snow Monkey Park is an example of conservation and protection of a species coexisting with responsible tourism.

Jigoku-dani Snow Monkey Park is known for its large population of wild Japanese macaques, otherwise known as snow monkeys. The monkeys come down from the steep cliffs and surrounding forests to sit in the warmth of the hot springs, which are located in their natural habitat in the Japanese Alps.

Snow monkeys have inhabited this region for a long time, but sixty years ago their forest home became threatened as swarths of the forest were cut down to put in ski lifts. As their habitat shrank, they made their way towards Jigokudani, and in 1964 Sogo Hara founded Jgokundani Monkey Park as a conservation area and a place of refuge to keep the monkeys from further harm.