Even Monkeys Love Spa! Japanese Macaques Spotted In Hot Springs [Video]

In the Jigokudani Monkey Park, the Japanese macaques have their own private hot tub, which they use for relaxing every day.

The monkey park which is located in Japan’s Joshinetsu Kogen National Park has a world-famous primate only onsen or hot spring. The snow monkeys of Jigokudani usually begin their days with relaxing dip in the hot spring.

According to researchers who have been studying the behavior of the monkeys, the habit of relaxing in the hot spring isn’t solely about warming their bodies, instead, the primates appreciate the onsen, like the Japanese, for their stress-reducing properties.

Researchers noticed that the monkeys remained indifferent even as the visitors to the park increased. They would meander nonchalantly about the park even during busy tourist seasons, climbing in and out of the hot springs.

In other words, the researchers found that the stress hormones of the monkeys did not increase as the number of tourists increased, CNN reported.

However, life always hasn’t been so rosy for the snow monkeys who are now in Jigokudani. Before the monkey had come into existence, the monkeys were forced out of their habitat in the 1950s due to the development of nearby ski resorts.

As the monkeys moved to the nearby villages and settlements raiding the farmer’s orchards, the government granted the farmers the right to hunt the primates. However, Sogo Hara, a Nagano Railway Company worker, and a local nature enthusiast was determined to protect the macaques.

Hara worked hard to persuade the farmers to stop hunting the macaques and lured the monkeys into the mountains with apples. The group of monkeys soon discovered a traditional Japanese inn on the mountains with an outdoor onsen for guests' enjoyment.

According to stories, one day in 1963, an apple fell into the onsen. A young monkey entered the onsen to retrieve the apple. However, he didn’t exit the onsen immediately after finding the apple and spent some time relaxing in the onsen. The other monkeys who saw their buddy enjoying the hot spring soon began imitating it.

Though the sight of monkeys relaxing in the hot springs delighted the visitors who came to the inn, there was a clear hygiene issue that was created as the onsen could no longer be used by human visitors.

Thus, the Jigokudani Monkey Park was created in 1964 and thanks to the efforts of Hara, this is where the macaques live freely since then, relaxing in their own dedicated onsen.

Typhoon No.19 which hit on Oct. 12 caused significant damage which impacted the spring’s water level and temperature. However, the restoration work is underway and the park is now open for tourists.