See monkeys soaking in hot springs in the snow！ 5 popular Japan spots worth visiting in the Year of the Monkey 2016

▲ The Year of the Monkey is here！ This year, take a monkey-themed trip～ (Photo / Provided by Nagano Prefecture Tourism Department)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Year of the Monkey 2016 has arrived, and to mark the occasion, tourist spots related to "monkeys" across Japan have seen an increase in visitors. Here’s a list of popular monkey-related attractions in Japan — make this year’s trip to Japan a Monkey Year-themed adventure！

Monkeys soaking in hot springs at Jigokudani Yaen-koen. (Photo / Provided by Nagano Prefecture Tourism Department)

1. Nagano Prefecture – Jigokudani Yaen-koen (Hell Valley Monkey Park)
Nestled deep in the mountains, “Jigokudani Yaen-koen” is beloved by travelers from around the world for its adorable sight of Japanese macaques soaking in open-air hot springs. Despite the long journey, it remains highly popular — especially the view combining winter snowscapes, hot springs, and monkeys bathing in the steaming waters, which is the park’s biggest charm！

Jigokudani Yaen-koen
Address: 8245 Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano
Business Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Nov–Mar); 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Apr–Oct)
Admission: Adults ¥500, Children ¥250

▲ At Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden, you can also see monkeys in the hot springs at set times！ (Photo / From the official Tropical Botanical Garden website)

2. Hokkaido Hakodate – Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden
Want to see monkeys in hot springs? It's not only in Nagano. In snowy Hokkaido’s Hakodate City, you can also find them at the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden！ However, compared to Jigokudani Yaen-koen where you can see monkeys in hot springs all year round, the tropical botanical garden only offers this cute spectacle from December each year to Golden Week in May.

Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden
Address: 15-1, 3-chome, Yugaemachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Business Hours: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Nov–Mar); 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM (Apr–Oct)
Admission: Adults ¥300; Junior and Senior High School Students ¥100

▲ Shodoshima, known as Monkey Island. (Photo / Screenshot from...)4travel)

3. Miyazaki Prefecture – Shodoshima
Japan has Cat Island and Rabbit Island, but there’s also a “Monkey Island” — Shodoshima in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is home to about 100 wild macaques. Though not primarily a tourism spot, it’s famous for the “monkeys that wash sweet potatoes in water.” Currently, it’s a research facility of Kyoto University and an important site for Japanese macaques.

▲ Hashikurazaki-en, said to be the largest monkey habitat in Eastern Japan. (Photo / Screenshot from... 4travel)

4. Shizuoka Prefecture – Hashikurazaki-en
Located on the Izu Peninsula, Hashikurazaki-en is home to about 300 monkeys and is said to be the largest wild monkey habitat in Eastern Japan. The highlight here is that visitors can enter a small fenced hut and feed the monkeys through iron bars. In summer, there’s also a nearby beach where you can enjoy the unique experience of seeing monkeys playing by the sea！

Address: 2622-1 Ohawkonotan, Imabestu, Minami-Izu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka
Business Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Oct 16 – Mar 15); 8:30 AM – 4:50 PM (Mar 16 – Oct 15)
Admission: Adults ¥700, Children ¥350

▲ The Three Wise Monkeys carving at Nikko Toshogu is very famous. (Photo / Screenshot from... 4travel)

5.hTochigi Prefecture　Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nikko Toshogu Shrine is renowned not only for its historical and cultural significance but also for the famous carving of three monkeys in the shrine’s stable, each posing with the gestures of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” These monkey poses symbolize the moral teachings of “not seeing the faults of others, not speaking of others’ wrongdoings, and not listening to others’ misdeeds,” making it one of the must-see spots at Toshogu.

Address: h木w2301 Yamaguchi, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture
Visiting hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM from November 1 to March 31; 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM from April 1 to October 31