Photo/Illutration Jigokudani Yaen-Koen is surrounded by steep cliffs and steaming hot springs. This is only place in the world where you can see monkeys bathing in hot springs in winter. (Photo by Lisa Vogt)

Some places become unrecognizable in just a few years, and others seem unchanged from time immemorial. After 17 years, I revisited Jigokudani Onsen in Nagano Prefecture and was delighted to see that time had stood still. What a rare treat.

A quick Wikipedia search shows that more than 25 locations around Japan are named “jigokudani” (hell’s valley). It signifies that Japan is full of places with volcanic activity where geothermal heat causes gas and steam to flow from the ground, making it difficult for plants to grow in these areas. The result is a bleak landscape with bare rock surfaces that give the impression of hell, an inhospitable place.

Yet, humans and some of our furry friends have discovered the joys of soaking in such warm waters.

I believe it was the 1998 Nagano Olympics that really put the Japanese macaque on the map. Monkey see monkey do, after the Games spectators from around the world made an excursion to Jigokudani Yaen-Koen before heading home.

Photos of snow monkey families taking a dip in hot springs and acting just like humans started appearing all over the web. I suspect more overseas people know about these monkeys than most Japanese.

The first time I visited the area near Shibu-no-Jigokudani geyser was in the dead of winter, and with everything covered in snow, I wasn’t sure of the lay of the land.

My recent trip was in late summer and what a surprise. One look at the snow-free scenery, and it all immediately came into crisp view. The rustic inn (first opened in 1864) nearest the monkey park entrance where I stayed was just as it was back then, cluttered and homely.

There were short-horned “inago” grasshoppers boiled down in soy sauce as a part of dinner; shared co-ed toilets; no shower, hot water from faucets or bath towels; and very thin futon. Everything was as far removed from Michelin stars as it gets.

It was and still is absolutely delightful. There aren’t too many places on Earth where you can bathe alongside wildlife like this. I had a friendly chat with some monkeys in the hot spring, although I seem to remember being the one doing most of the talking.

There is a precious slice of the authentic Japanese countryside here despite it being on the tourist circuit map of Japan. Hell would be to modernize a place like this. May it remain as it is for years to come.

* * *

This article by Lisa Vogt, a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer, originally appeared in the March 20 issue of Asahi Weekly. It is part of the series "Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan," which depicts various places across the country through the perspective of the author, a professor at Meiji University.

Related News