Snow monkeys in Monkey Park, near Nagano, grooming and hanging out.

One of the most popular sites near Nagano is “Monkey Park,” renowned for its population of Japanese macaques, and particularly, their affinity for a good hot bath. The monkeys come down during daylight hours to play, soak, fight, socialize, and comb each other clean. At night, they retreat into the forest for security. The park takes a bit of effort to get to- a train, a bus, and a hike- so it’s not as crowded as one would expect. Though maybe I’m just here in the ideal off-season, before the snows but after the heat.

Here’s some pictures of my afternoon among my very distant relatives.

Autumn comes to the mountains near Nagano!