Jigokudani, where snow monkeys relax in hot springs

I started my travels to Jigokudani, home of the famous snow monkeys, in Nagano.  From Nagano I hopped on a small train line, the Nagano Dentestu that goes to Yudanaka Station in Yamanouchi, a small mountain town that is the portal to Jigokudani.

After arriving I made my way over to my ryokan and rested in my room under the kotatsu (heated sitting table). I was told that it was already too late to go to Jigokudani that day but the manager of the ryokan would give me a ride over to the Jigokudani trailhead first thing in the morning.

After getting a lift to the trailhead I began the short (~1 mile) hike up to where the snow monkeys live.  Arriving at the gates I paid the entry fee of 500 en and entered.  I walked past the small information center/shop/heated lounge room and descended towards the main hot springs pool that was filled with snow monkeys young and old.  On the hillside surrounding the hot springs monkeys dotted the area and perched among the branches of small trees.

Being accustomed to perhaps hundreds of visitors a day the snow monkeys were not shy or afraid and went about their activities of bathing, playing, and foraging through the snow and under rocks for food.  They seemed to show no interest or curiosity for the pesky humans with their cameras and bright colored winter jackets.

After watching the playful snow monkeys and exploring the surrounding area I turned back and walked back down the snowy trail back to the road to catch a bus back to Yamanouchi.  I collected my luggage from the ryokan and walked through the icy streets back to the Yudanaka train station where I got back on the small train to Nagano.

Sorry for lack of Updates

My trip is more than half over and this is the first time updating my travel journal since I arrived in Japan.  I will be trying to catch up and write about the places in Japan that I have visited up until I arrived in Chichijima.  It has been a wonderful trip so far and I will be sad when it is time to go back home.

An introduction to the Bonin Islands, Ogasawara Guntō

The Bonin Islands lie over 600 miles (1,000 km) south-southeast of Tokyo, Japan.  This volcanic archipelago is comprised of more than 30 islands. The Bonin Islands are also known as Ogasawara Guntō 小笠原群島 and are administered under the Tokyo Prefecture despite their distance from Tokyo and the larger islands of Japan.

The Bonin Islands in relation to Japan

Of the 30 islands that make up the Bonin Islands only two are inhabited.  Chichijima 父島 houses most of the islands' population with 2,000 people living there.  An additional 450 people live on the island of Hahajima 母島.  

To Chichijima!

Hi and welcome to my travel journal for my upcoming adventure to Japan and the Bonin Islands.

From Seattle to Chichijima

I hope to document all the interesting things I come across while in Japan and my daily activities on Chichijima and at Pelan Village.

Map of Chichijima:

source: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e8202.html

I will try to update as much as possible with photos and short writings to help document my time here.

Some information about Chichijima and Pelan Village can be found at the following links:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1362/

http://www.ogasawaramura.com/en/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e8202.html

http://www.ogasawarakaiun.co.jp/english/

Also, please check out Ryo Shimizu's website and blog (in Japanese).  He is the leader of Pelan Village, where I will be staying while on Chichijima.


Thanks for visiting!

~Nik