When my wife and I were planning our honeymoon in 2018, a trip up to the mountains of Nagano to see the famous snow monkeys using the hot springs was on the list of potential things to do, but we ultimately abandoned the idea because we didn’t think it was worth the 1-day commitment.
It’s been on my bucket list ever since.
On my most recent winter work trip to Japan, I found myself with a hole in my schedule big enough to make the bullet train trip from Tokyo to Nagano, so I went for it.
The trip isn’t easy—a subway ride to Tokyo station, a bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano, and a bus from Nagano station to Jigokudani Yaen Koen, 地獄谷野猿公苑, otherwise known as the “Monkey Park”. After the bus drop, it’s a 5km hike into the mountains to get to the hot springs.
I have no regrets about the effort. It was beautiful. My only wish is that I had rented a longer lens.
