Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama – The Best Place To See “Snow Monkeys”

The best place to see “snow monkeys” – actually called Japanese macaques – is at Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama, a short walk from the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.

Japanese macaque mother and baby © Jun Kitayama

So you want to see the “snow monkeys”? I’ve got some bad news for you: There’s no such thing as “snow monkeys.” Rather, there’s a monkey park in Jigokudani in Nagano Prefecture where standard Japanese macaques are lured into an artificial concrete hot tub which is surrounded by tourists eagerly snapping pictures (see following pic).

Jigokudi in winter

If you want to see Japanese macaques in far more pleasant, easy-to-reach surroundings, visit Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama, a short walk from the famous Bamboo Forest.

Elder macaque © Jun Kitayama

The Japanese macaque is the northernmost wild primate on Earth, aside from humans. One of its standout features is a conspicuously short tail – likely an evolutionary concession to Japan’s brutal winters.

A troop of these macaques has been making use of the hot tub at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano for years and photographs of them against a snowy backdrop are featured in most Japan tourism materials. These pictures have led many people to imagine that there’s a natural hot spring high in the Japan Alps where a troop of wild monkeys bathes and, if you’re lucky and quiet enough, you can creep around a corner in the forest and sneak a few snaps of these hairy sybarites.

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In reality it’s entirely stage-managed and the photos are carefully framed to eliminated the concrete walkways, the crowds, the electrical wires and the attendants. By the time people have spent several hours and well over US$100 to get there from Tokyo (even more from Kyoto), the sunk-cost fallacy has gripped them and they make the most of it, but there’s a much easier and cheaper way to see Japanese macaques in Japan, in much more pleasant surroundings.

You can find Japanese macaques all over the main islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. They roam freely in the mountains around Kyoto and sometimes show up near homes on the city’s fringes. Once in a while, they even wander into the urban core, prompting news alerts and general chaos. They’re generally peace-loving creatures, but if they misread a human encounter as threatening they won’t hesitate to bare their fangs, scream like demons, and very rarely, bite. A chance meeting with a wild macaque is equal parts lucky and potentially bloody if you do not retreat carefully. For what it’s worth: I’ve encountered wild macaques several times in Kyoto’s mountains (and elsewhere in Japan) and never had any problems.

Who you lookin’ at? © Jun Kitayama

If you’d rather not leave your primate encounter to fate, head to Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama – a nature park in Kyoto’s scenic Arashiyama district, famous for its bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, and the much-Instagrammed Togetsukyo Bridge. I’ve taken my kids up to Monkey Park Iwatayama and they love it. They refer to it as a “reverse zoo” because the monkeys walk freely, but the humans are in “cages” (actually, a hut where you can hand feed the monkeys – you can also walk outside among the monkeys).

Mount Iwatayama from Togetsukyo Bridge © Jun Kitayama

To get to the monkey park, go to the main street of Arashiyama near the river and you will see Togetsukyo Bridge (usually crowded with tourists). Look upstream from the bridge and you’ll spot Mount Iwatayama – a modest mountain that overlooks the river; the monkey park is on a shoulder of that mountain. Cross the bridge, cross a short second bridge, turn right, and you’ll quickly arrive at a nondescript entry path, borrowed from the grounds of an old shrine. That’s the entrance to the monkey park.

Monkey Park entrance © Jun Kitayama

Climb the first short stone staircase and pass under the torii gate, and you’ll find the park’s ticket booth and entrance gate on your left.

The start of the climb © Jun Kitayama

Then the climb begins. A long staircase. A sloping trail. Then more of both. It’s a legit short hike – about 20 minutes and 120 meters of vertical gain. If you’re used to flat terrain, you may question your life choices about halfway up, especially on a hot summer day. But the forest is lovely, the air is fresh, and repeating that to yourself helps.

Monkey etiquette sign © Jun Kitayama

Along the way, bilingual signs offer guidance on proper monkey etiquette. Most crucial is this: don’t make eye contact. No matter how tender your gaze, to a monkey it’s a threat – and an invitation to turn your afternoon into a “When animals attack” video. But, as I say, you have to be a fool to engage a monkey in a staring contest and if you just keep your distance and avert your eyes, you’ll be fine.

First monkey spotted © Jun Kitayama

As you approach the top, you’ll start to spot them – dog-sized, fur-covered figures, brownish-grey and suspiciously nonchalant. Monkeys.

View over Kyoto from Monkey Park © Jun Kitayama

At the summit, there’s an open area and a rest building. From here, you get a panoramic view over Kyoto city, with Kyoto Tower visible in the distance.

Feeding monkeys from the rest building © Jun Kitayama

Inside the rest building, there’s a mesh-enclosed room where you can buy monkey snacks for ¥100 a bag and feed them from behind the wire. Without that mesh, they’d gladly take the entire bag.

Monkeys grooming © Jun Kitayama

Outside, monkeys of all ages loaf about: eating, wrestling, grooming, bickering, napping. If you’ve followed the rules, they’ll mostly ignore you. You’re not threatening, but you’re also not interesting. You’re just another obstacle on the path to a good nap.

Monkeys galore © Jun Kitayama

A few times a day – no fixed schedule – the staff throws out feed in the plaza, prompting a minor frenzy. It’s the best chance to catch a bunch of monkeys in one frame.

Monkey mom and babies © Jun Kitayama

The troop here numbers about 120 macaques, divided into 13 matrilineal clans – all meticulously documented. While this is technically a wild troop (not a zoo), some individuals are nearly always around. Visit in spring or summer and you might spot newborns clinging to their mothers.

Monkeys in the trees © Jun Kitayama

The park opened in 1957, right around the time Kyoto University’s primatologists began making global waves studying monkeys and apes. Not coincidentally, the university helped establish this place and still uses it as a research site – their closest field station.

Rest building © Jun Kitayama

Once you’ve snapped your photos, don’t rush off. Spend some unstructured time among the macaques. Watch long enough and they stop feeling like animals and start to resemble small, furry neighbors – ones that happen to live in a mountain commune, ignore you entirely, and occasionally throw tantrums.

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Name in English:
Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama

Name in Japanese:
嵐山モンキーパークいわたやま

English address:
61 Arashiyama-nakaoshita-cho, Nishikyo-ku

Japanese address:
西京区嵐山中尾下町61

Opening hours:
9:00am-4:00pm

Admission:
Adults: ¥800
Children (4-15 years old): ¥400

Nearest Transport:
7-minute walk from Arashiyama Station, Hankyu Arashiyama Line
10-minute walk from Arashiyama Station, Keifuku Arashiyama Main Line (Randen)

Telephone:
+81-75-872-0950

Website:
Official website (English)

Near To Here:
Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama is located in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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