Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen
Chubu, Japan · Mountain, Town / small city, Snow
Jigokudani's 'snow monkeys' park, where Japanese macaques bathe in a natural hot spring surrounded by snow, next to the hot spring town of Shibu, with nine traditional public baths visited in yukata and geta through its cobbled lanes.
The essentials
Getting there
Train — Private Nagano Dentetsu line from Nagano Station to Yudanaka (one transfer at Shinshu-Nakano, ~1h17min, ¥1,660; a more direct limited express also runs, about 45min), then a bus (15 min) and a final 35-minute walk to the monkey park; an entirely private line, unrelated to JR and not covered by any pass.
Frequently asked questions about Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen
How many days do you need in Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen?
1 day minimum for it to be worth it. There are 17 documented activities in Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen, so it keeps giving with more time.
How do you get to Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen?
Train: Private Nagano Dentetsu line from Nagano Station to Yudanaka (one transfer at Shinshu-Nakano, ~1h17min, ¥1,660; a more direct limited express also runs, about 45min), then a bus (15 min) and a final 35-minute walk to the monkey park; an entirely private line, unrelated to JR and not covered by any pass.
Can you visit Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen in a day?
Yes. Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen works well as a day trip, usually from Nozawa Onsen and Nagano-Togakushi, with no need to change accommodation.
What must you see in Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen?
What is marked as a must-see: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park.
Is Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen expensive?
Spend level mid by Japanese standards. Factor in the per-night tourist tax as well, which varies from city to city.
What to do in Jigokudani / Shibu Onsen: 17 activities
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Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park 2 h must-see
Wild Japanese macaques bathing in a natural hot spring pool surrounded by snow, especially in the winter months; after the bus, a final 35-minute walk through the forest.
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Kanaguya Ryokan 1 h
Inn from 1758 with four wooden storeys and registered cultural property status; its facade lit up at night is the one many people associate with 'Spirited Away', though the studio has never confirmed it.
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Shibu Onsen's nine-bath pilgrimage (yumeguri) 2 h
A 1,300-year-old hot spring town with nine traditional wooden public baths scattered through its lanes; ryokan guests get a key to visit them all in yukata and geta.
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Skiing at Shiga Kogen 6 h
The largest and highest ski area in Japan, with more than eighty linked runs on a single pass; it was an Olympic venue in 1998.
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The Monkey Park outside Winter 3 h
The park is open year round: in summer the macaques do not bathe but they raise their young and play along the river, and there are far fewer people. Access is a 1.6 km walk through the forest from the car park.
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Walking in Yukata with the Bathhouse Key 2 h
The ryokan gives you yukata, geta and a master key that opens the village baths: the clatter of the clogs through the alleys, past shooting galleries and old arcade machines, is half the experience.
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Eating in Yamanouchi: Oyaki, Soba and Onsen Eggs 1 h
Steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, Shinshu soba, apples from the valley and eggs boiled directly in the village hot spring.
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Korakukan, the Ryokan in the Monkey Valley 14 h booking
The only inn inside the valley itself, open since 1864; it was its open-air baths that gave rise to the monkeys' habit of getting into the water.
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Macaque Baby Season 2 h
Between mid-April and June the infants are born and the mothers carry them all over the valley: the best time to see the group's social behaviour.
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Obuse, Hokusai's Town 4 h
Half an hour away by train: the Hokusai museum and the phoenix the painter left on a temple ceiling at the age of 89, in a town that also lives off chestnut sweets.
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Shiga Kogen Craft Beer 1.5 h
The village brewery, which started out as a sake brewery, is one of the country's benchmarks; in March it runs a beer festival with live music.
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Shiga Kogen in Summer 5 h
A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1980: more than forty mountain ponds, trails through birch woods and a chairlift that climbs above 2,300 metres.
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The Tenth Bath: the Village Temple 1 h
The nine-bath route does not end at the ninth: you climb to the village temple to stamp the towel and ask for the 'tenth bath', the bath of enlightenment.
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Why the Monkey Park Exists 1 h
It was created in 1964: as the ski runs expanded, the macaques began raiding vegetable plots and farmers were calling for them to be exterminated; feeding them here brought them back to the valley. That is why feeding them is strictly prohibited.
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Yudanaka Onsen and the Station Foot Bath 1.5 h
The neighbouring hot spring town, larger and with the train station; there is a free foot bath on the platform itself.
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High Mountain Fireflies 1.5 h
In July the highest firefly colony in Japan lights up at Shiga Kogen, above 1,600 metres.
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Night walk through Shibu's lanes 1 h
At night, Shibu's cobbled streets light up with lanterns and the clatter of wooden geta — one of Japan's most photogenic onsen-town atmospheres.
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