Left Kyoto and took the train up to the mountains for a relaxing weekend. We stayed at a lovely ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Shibu-onsen, a town that’s famous for two things: hot springs and snow monkeys. The springs come from volcanic activity under the mountains, and there are pipes running through the streets with wafting sulphurous liquid. The monkeys are in a park and are technically wild, but fed enough to appear frequently, and soak in the waters.
We walked through the snowy forest to the park, and were quite impressed with our first sighting, not knowing that there would be dozens more. The park itself is pretty developed, but where else can you feel like a National Geographic photographer and get shots like this?
Snow monkey family
