Snow Monkeys in Japan
 

I would love to hear experiences about visiting the snow monkeys in Japan. This is one of the last trips on my bucket list. Thanks.
Jane

Hi Jane,
I thought the experience was wonderful when I visited with my daughter back in 2011.
Our trip was an overnight that included a stop at a wonderful typical Japanese Inn (Ryokan)which had a wonderful roof terrace onsen which is the equivalent of a hot tub but is filled with natural water which usually comes directly from a nearby volcano and has the rich minerals. They provided a beautiful dinner and entertainment.
The next day we made our way to the Snow monkeys, stopped at a place for strawberry picking. That was amazing to me since I never saw a strawberry as big as my fist before and they were very sweet! The trek is easy and enjoyable but a walking stick would be helpful as you are walking on snow covered uneven terrain.
The monkeys were fun to watch, didn't seem to mind having us there and were quite preoccupied digging for tiny seeds in the snow. Some went into the little pond which is their very own open-air onsen.
Sorry I don't have specific names of the accommodations as the trip was a tour arranged by an agency and I can't find the itinerary.
Hope you can make it and add some other things to your bucket lit.

Oh, thank you so much! Were there others on the trip with you and you daughter? Was it a short tour or part of a longer tour?

Monkeys abound in Japan. We have seen them in mostly the mountainous areas in parks, onsen, monkey parks.....all over the place but I guess you might be looking specifically for this place way up in the Japan Alps.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6028.html

Aloha!

Thanks for the link! Have you visited the Alps park?

The place Hawiiantraveler mentions is probably the easiest place to guarantee seeing the monkeys but they do, as he says, abound, so you could just head into a remote part of the country you'd like to see anyway and keep your eyes peeled.

I was in the Yagen Valley (in Shimokita) last Friday and stopped to admire a waterfall when there was tremendous shaking in a tree overhead: it was a monkey swinging through to cross the river. Once I'd seen that one, I realized there were several sitting around. Then, going in to Ohata, a troupe of about 7 crossed right by my car. There was a baby, about the size of a kitten, clinging to the back of (I assume) its mother.

By the way, for another facet of nature, they have squid races in Ohata.

Squid races? How funny! Thanks for your info, SOG