August has been a hot and at times wet and wild month in the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. In the middle of summer, the winter days of cold and deep snow seem like a dream and for visitors to the park this time of year, you might find it hard to believe that the park will be snowbound in around four months time!
In the heat of summer the monkeys go about their monkey lives, spending their days with the usual monkey business of sleeping, grooming, wrestling, foraging, a little more sleeping and the occasional swim in the hot spring.
Japanese summers are known for their heat and humidity and even though Nagano is located at a much higher altitude than the coastal cities, August is a hot and sticky month. Relief comes in the form of sudden and strong storms, along with an occasional typhoon which send some strong winds and rain toward Nagano as they pass to the south.
Whichever way you look at it, August is a memorable time to visit the park! With visitor numbers low and the monkeys content to spend their days in the shade of the lush trees, summer offers an experience very different to winter.
As we move into the second half of the month and September, we are looking forward to lower humidity yet still warm days of late summer. As Nagano’s No.1 tour operator, we are looking forward to welcoming many new guests to the monkey park in September.
Our award-winning 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour will be operating everyday through September and on into the autumn months of October and November.
This fun and engaging 1-day tour is a great way to experience all that Nagano has to offer, all led by a locally-based, English-speaking guide.
We hope to see you here soon!