Yamanouchi
Discover Yamanouchi
Yamanouchi (山ノ内町 Yamanouchi-machi) is a hot spring town in Nagano, Japan, famous for its bathing snow monkeys. The tourist information center at Nagano station can give you a bus and local train timetable to get to the monkey park, as well as a brochure with a handy map for the walk from the bus stop to the park. English spoken.
What to Experience in Yamanouchi
Taste of Yamanouchi...
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Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsYamanouchi town's Yudanaka Station is 45 minutes from Nagano on the Nagano-Dentetsu rail line; Nagano in turn is 95 minutes from Tokyo on the Asama bullet train. The train from Nagano to Yamanouchi is ¥1210 one way; then you need to catch a bus or walk. Upon arrival at Yudanaka Station you will likely be greeted by the info centre's employees handing out free helpful maps on how to get to the Monkey Park. They will also explain that you can buy bus tickets from the window at the front of Yudanaka Station. If possible, take the Nagano Electric Limited Express. It makes far fewer stops than the local trains, and the seats are more comfortable as the train is newer. It costs an extra ¥100 each way. If you take one of the local trains, it is possible that you will have to transfer halfway down the line onto a different train, although it is usually just a matter of walking across the platform onto the waiting train. The monkey park is approximately 1....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You can take a public bus to Shiga Kogen and get off at Kanbayashi Onsen, which is an easy 30-minute walk away and costs ¥1300 one way. Alternatively - a minibus to the monkey park runs seven times a day from Yamanouchi town and costs ¥1,500 round trip, including admission to the park. Winter only. Walking back down to Yudanaka Station from the park takes about 1½ hours (possibly a bit longer in the reverse direction up). The route first follows the off-limit road along the river through forests before entering the beautiful spa town Shibu Onsen after that Yudanaka Onsen. A little further along the way stands a tall statue of a Kannon Buddha. Many people come to this area stay in old traditional hot spring town Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen, experience traditional ryokan accommodation, and hot spring or ski in Shiga Kogen, the highest and largest ski area on Honshu. Visit the hot springs in Shibu Onsen (渋温泉) and Yudanaka (湯田中).
Safety Information
Glimpses of Yamanouchi
brown monkey on body of water shallow focus photography
two brown monkeys on body of water
On the last couple days of my trip to Japan, my friend and I stopped at Jigokudani Monkey Park near Nagano.
Heißwasser-Quelle im Nagano NP
Late night walk through Yamanouchi with a camera lead to really great captures.
green tree on mountain during daytime
a building with a sign on the front of it
A sign on the side of a building in a foreign language
A quiet street lined with houses and utility poles.
white van parked beside brown concrete building during daytime
brown monkey on body of water shallow focus photography
two brown monkeys on body of water
On the last couple days of my trip to Japan, my friend and I stopped at Jigokudani Monkey Park near Nagano.