Another September has rolled around at the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and we are now feeling the first of the cooler autumn weather. Strolling to and from the park along the beautiful forest trail, visitors will notice the first leaves now starting to turn with the stunning colours of the autumn leaves soon to appear…
The monkeys – as always – go about their monkeys lives and monkey agendas with little change. Just like us they seem happy that the heat and humidity of summer have now receded with little thought of the cold winter to come.
No time to think about that now! September is a time to wrestle, forage, groom and sleep. Indeed the monkeys seem especially content about the current state of their world perhaps for no other reason other than the abundance of wild food now available in the forest.
Not just abundant but we are reliably told, also delicious in the extreme to monkey palate. September and the coming autumn are very much a time to indulge and eat their fill, to plump-up for the cold winter months when food – especially the tasty stuff – is hard to come by.
From September onward the monkeys also start to bathe in the hot spring more regularly. While temperatures are still very pleasant and can suddenly become warm again, the initial drop can surprise the monkeys and trick them into feeling colder than it really is. For that reason, as autumn rolls on they will be more frequently seen bathing in their hot spring and for longer; and let’s face it, this is what so many people come to see!
As Nagano’s No.1 tour operator, Snow Monkey Resorts offers daily tours to the park and other popular regional destinations. Led by locally-based, English-speaking guides our tours take the hassle out of planning your visit to the park and turn that visit into a real experience including lunch, sake tasting, and morning visit to Nagano’s near-1400 year old Zenko-ji Temple on our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour.
From October 7th to 19th, we are happy to also offer our autumn-only 1-Day Snow Monkeys & Autumn Leaves tour. This tour combines a morning visit to the monkey park with lunch and afternoon enjoying the beautiful autumn leaves of nearby locations including Shiga Kogen and the Matsukawa Valley.
We chose the destinations based on where the leaves are at their best on the day, creating a relaxing and enjoyable daytrip which showcases Nagano at its colorful best!
We hope you can join us here in the Nagano this autumn!
