Yamanouchi & Shiga Kogen

Yamanouchi area in Nagano is the home of the ever-popular Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park where Japanese monkeys discovered the wonders of dipping in natural hot springs. It’s pretty cool considering no one really knows when they actually started to take baths. There were many stories about it, but one thing’s for sure, they saw humans repeatedly enter the warm pool of water and decided to check it out, like the curious monkeys they were. 

Shibu Onsen is one of those places that pop up whenever you search for the snow monkeys. There is much more to it than just monkeys though. Just like most onsen villages, Shibu onsen has been around for centuries and you can tell from the town’s antique buildings and cobblestone streets. Alongside another onsen village just next to it, the Yudanaka Onsen is similar with its long running history but just a bit more accessible with its own train station as this serves as the gateway to the Yamanouchi area in Nagano. One can guess that this long history of the onsen villages captured the curiosity of the monkeys to try it for themselves. The Snow Monkey Park was established so they can have their own personal hot spring bath deep in the mountains, but it didn’t stop some monkeys from occasionally taking a stroll in the town though.