Jigokudani Monkey Park revises admission on 1 December
Published on 11/07/2026 at 08:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSAdmission and winter access
- From 1 December 2026, the operator will apply revised admission fees at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi.
- Winter visitors with online tickets receive priority entry from December 2026 through April 2027.
- The park was established in 1964 at an altitude of 850 metres in Nagano Prefecture.
- Japan National Tourism Organization lists a 25 to 40-minute forest walk from Kanbayashi Onsen to the park.
Jigokudani Monkey Park will revise its admission fees on 1 December 2026 in Yamanouchi, Japan, giving travellers a new access change to note before winter visits. The operator has also set online-ticket holders to receive priority entry during the winter period from December through April.
Jigokudani Monkey Park changes admission on 1 December
The admission fee revision takes effect on 1 December 2026. The park operator states the change on its English guide and directs visitors to its notice about the revised fees. The notice identifies the facility at 6845 Yamanouchi-machi in Nagano Prefecture, confirming that the change concerns the monkey park itself.
The revision is part of a wider change in how winter entry is organised. The operator says visitors who have bought online tickets receive priority for entry from December through April. The park has no fixed closing days, although its guide says that weather, snow monkey behaviour or natural disasters can lead to temporary closures or shorter operating hours.
The relevant information is set out in the operator’s guide to the 1 December revision. The fee change matters most to travellers whose visit begins on or after 1 December 2026, while the online-entry priority applies during the winter period.
The 1964 park sits above Yamanouchi in Nagano
The park lies in the Yokoyu River valley in northern Nagano Prefecture, within the Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park area. The operator gives its altitude as 850 metres (2,789 ft) and says the facility was established in 1964.
Jigokudani Monkey Park is an observation site for wild Japanese macaques rather than a zoo with animals kept in enclosures. The monkeys use a hot-spring bath in the park, but the guide explains that bathing is linked to cold conditions and does not happen at every hour or throughout the year. That seasonal behaviour connects the 1 December admission change with the period when many visitors are planning a winter wildlife visit.
The Japan National Tourism Organization guide places the park near Kanbayashi Onsen and describes access through a forest trail. It also records that Japanese macaques have been observed soaking in the hot springs there since 1964.
Winter entry combines tickets with a mountain trail
The practical effect of the new arrangement is clearest for visitors travelling in December 2026 or later. An online ticket can give priority at entry during the December to April period, but the park remains a natural site where the animals’ movements are not guaranteed. The operator says monkeys may stay away from the park on some days.
The visit therefore combines an administrative change at the entrance with an outdoor route through a mountain valley. The destination is not a human bathing facility, and visitors observe the macaques from the designated area rather than entering the hot spring.
Visiting Jigokudani Monkey Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The admission fee revision takes effect on 1 December 2026 at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi.
- Online-ticket holders receive priority entry from December through April, while the operator says weather, natural disasters or monkey behaviour can affect access.
- The park is reached from Kanbayashi Onsen by a forest trail; the Japan National Tourism Organization describes the walk as 25 to 40 minutes.
- The site is at 850 metres (2,789 ft), and the approach includes an unpaved natural route with no wheelchair or cart access.
- Japanese is the official language and the national currency is the Japanese yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Jigokudani Monkey Park
When does the admission fee revision take effect at Jigokudani Monkey Park?
The revised admission fees take effect on 1 December 2026. The operator has not stated the change as a closure or a change to the park’s location.
Where is Jigokudani Monkey Park and how do you get there?
The park is in the Yokoyu River valley near Kanbayashi Onsen in Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture. Visitors can reach the forest trail by public transport from Nagano, Yudanaka or Shibu Onsen, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
What is Jigokudani Monkey Park?
It is a wildlife observation facility established in 1964 where wild Japanese macaques can be observed around a hot-spring bath. The park stands at an altitude of 850 metres and is reached by a forest route.
