Nagano ~ my afternoon with the Snow Monkeys
I have always had a fascination with Japan. I remember as a boy watching the television series Shogun with Richard Chamberlain and being completely captivated by the country and its culture. I visited twice before, both times through educational programs. The first was in 2008 as part of a teacher exchange hosted by the Hyogo Prefecture. On my second trip, I led a group of American students on a three week ambassadorial program. Each experience left a deep impression, enough that I always knew I would return.
Fifteen years later, I found myself planning a new trip with familiar places I wanted to revisit and new ones I wanted to discover for the first time. One of those new places was Nagano. Located in the Japanese Alps, Nagano is known for its natural beauty and rich cultural history. It hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics and is home to one of Japan's most unique sights: the Japanese macaques, or Snow Monkeys, who famously soak in hot springs during the cold months.
Hot Spring Zen by Art Wolfe
Years ago I came across a photograph by renowned nature photographer Art Wolfe titled Hot Springs Zen. It is a striking image of Japanese macaques sitting in a natural onsen, steam rising around them, their expressions calm and still. That image stayed with me. When I moved into a new home, I bought a large print and hung it in my living room, where it has been a quiet presence ever since. People notice it and ask about it, and I always find myself telling the same story. Partly it is a personal connection: I was born in the Year of the Monkey, and something about the playfulness of these animals has always resonated with me. But more than that, it is the stillness in the image that draws me in. As a teacher and theater director, my days are full of people and energy and creative noise, all of which I love. But I am an introvert at heart, and that image of the macaques sitting quietly in the snow speaks to something I genuinely need.
Visiting the Snow Monkeys in person had been on my list for a long time. I booked a small group tour to Jigokudani Yaen Koen, a park deep in the mountains where the monkeys live. The day began with a visit to Zenkōji Temple in Nagano before we drove up into the hills for lunch and then the hike into the park.
Since it was summer, I was not expecting the classic image. No snow, and the monkeys likely would not be soaking in the hot springs. There was also no guarantee they would be around at all. But I had checked the park's live camera feed the day before and spotted them, so I arrived hopeful.
I was not disappointed. As soon as we entered the park they were everywhere. Macaques grooming, lounging, chasing one another, keeping a casual eye on their surroundings. Having grown up around visitors, they largely ignored us, going about their routines with complete indifference to the cameras pointed their way. I had my zoom lens and got to work. The monkeys did not exactly cooperate, turning away or running off at the wrong moment, but out of the thousand or so shots I took on burst mode I came away with twenty I was genuinely happy with.
But the best part was not the photography. It was simply being there. Babies learning to climb, mothers keeping quiet watch, older macaques resting in the shade. The whole scene was calm and unhurried and completely unaffected by the people standing nearby. I found myself just watching, camera lowered, taking it in.
Back home, that photograph on my wall means something different now. It is still a calming presence in the room, but it also carries me back to that park in the mountains, to the sounds and the stillness and the feeling of watching those animals live their quiet lives. What was once an inspiring image is now a memory I can walk past every day.