snow monkey park

Hi william5,
I am going to snow monkey park in mid dec. Would there be snow? I am thinking since I am already in Yudanaka, so I make a trip to this park.
Any advice?
Thanks.

Nowadays it's hard to predict the weather but I think you have a fair chance of seeing snow during mid Dec. in the Jigokudani snow monkey park. To be safe, what you can do is to keep monitoring the place for up-date situation through its live webcam:
http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm

Also I don't know what happens but some posts here by you have been deleted. If I remember correctly you want to know if there is any scenic train ride that is covered by the JR rail pass. One that comes into mind is the Gono Line between Akita and Hirosaki/Aomori area which I meant to take but was unable to do during my last Tohoku trip.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/akita/gonosen/index.html
The present schedule is till the end of Sept. only. For a Dec. schedule, keep visiting the website from time to time for an updated version. You can take a look here for some photos along the route during summer:
http://aomori.photo-web.cc/gonou2/01.html

Let's hope this would not be deleted. If you need further info., try starting a new thread. Good luck.

Hi william5,
Yes, I noticed some posts being deleted. Maybe is because I am riding on the posts to ask some other questions.

If snow is expected in the park, do I have to wear special shoes to walk to the park?

Thanks for the tip on scenic train journey. I doubt I have the time to do it during this trip.

Thanks.

http://www.yudanaka-shibuonsen.com/

If snow is expected in the park, do I have to wear special shoes to walk to the park?

No. However, in winter it is a 20-30 minute walk on a trail through the woods from the parking area to the monkey park. If there is snow then you would preferably want to wear shoes that are warm and waterproof. Snow boots are best, but not necessary if you are comfortable walking in snow in other types of shoes.

Hi yllwsmrf,
Thanks for your advice.
Have you been to this park? What I gathered from internet, is walk from entrance of the park to a pond/pool where we can expect to see some monkeys bathing in the hot water?

Yea, and I really like it. Its an excellent place for taking pictures especially in the winter, however, there may not be that many monkeys bathing. There was only one the time I visited.

Also, while its not a difficult walk to the park, it does take 20-30 minutes on a snowy path. Keep that in mind when preparing to visit.

The following page has more info and a map that should give you some idea of how its arranged:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6025.html

Hi yllwsmrf,
Thanks for sharing again.
May I ask if you stay in a ryokan in Yudanaka? Which ryokan?
I just hope that the weather will be good when I visit this Park, so that my walking can be done with ease.

sorry I haven't stayed at a ryokan in that area. I stopped by after a trip to nearby Shiga Kogen Ski Resort.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6026.html

Apart from the 5 min hike from the main road, the walk through the wood is flat and even if there is a bit of snow, it is not difficult. Unless there is heavy snow, I don't think snow boots are necessary. Good mt. trekking shoes are fine.

After entering the park, you'll see monkeys even before reaching the pond. If you like to take photos of them down by the stream, you may come across slightly slippery rocks and sand. When you cross the foot bridge to the pond, you may want to climb a few rocks (not recommended though) to get a better picture of the pond from higher up. So shoes with good grip are desirable.

Hi william5,
Your advice is extremely useful and detailed. Now I have a better picture what to expect in this Park.
May I ask spending about 2 hours from Yudanaka train station to this Park and back to Yudanaka train station should be enough? I am betting reaching Yudanaka at about 1pm and complete this visit before the Park closes at 4pm.
Thanks a lot.

I think you need more than 2 hrs. for a round-trip to the park from Yudanaka. It is 15 min bus from Yudanaka to Kanbayashi Onsen. Then it's 5 min. hike uphill and 30 min. walk through the wood trail. So it's already 50 min. one way to reach the park. The park is small but I think at least it deserves a 30 min. stay to look around and take pictures.

The main thing you have to take into account is the frequency of the bus. Sorry I couldn't locate the bus timetable, it must be buried somewhere among my typical dis-organized references! If I remember correctly, it only runs hourly, costs 220 yen and operated by Nagaden bus.

Hi william5,
I am planning once I reach Yudanaka station at 1pm, I will first drop my luggages at Kokuya before starting my walking, say close to 2pm. By 4pm, I should be able to complete visiting the Park and preparing to return to Kokuya.
Sounds feasible?
Thanks.

http://www.nagadenbus.co.jp/local_nakanano/kanbayashi_w.html

At last I dig out the above bus schedule for the park. The left-hand column is to Kanbayashi Onsen �ã—щ·�ò , the right-hand column is departure from Kanbayashi Onsen. The bus journey is shorter if you are staying in Shibu Onsen �a‰·�ò . If you rely on the bus, it seems the only option is after you check-in, take the 13.20 bus to reach Kanbayashi Onsen at 13.31. If you take the 14.45 bus, you won't have time to catch the 16.05 returning bus, and you don't want to be there after the park closes at 16.00 and wait for the 19.55 bus. BTW, those with a black triangle indicate not running on Saturdays and holidays. Of course, if you don't want to be bind by the bus, you can always go for a taxi.

Here you can find a map of the surrounding area:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-406.pdf

Hi william5,
Once again, thanks so much for sharing.
I am thinking to walk to the Park if the weather and time permit.
Also, I have yet to make up my mind whether staying in Kokuya in Shibu Onsen which is nearer to the Park and probably offers better facilities OR Shimaya in Yudanaka Onsen whose boss offers free ride to the Park but facilities wise probably not as grand as Kokuya (guesswork).
Anyway, I have made up my mind since I am already at Yudanaka, I will make a trip to see these monkeys and hope they don't disappoint me.
Thanks.

As I said before, make sure there is snow in the park when you go. Without snow, the place is a bit disappointing.

Good luck and have a safe and pleasant journey.

Hi william5,
Thanks for your advice.
As with or without snow in the Park, it is really beyond everybody's control.
BTW, the nagaden bus service runs from Shibu Onsen to the Park. Where exactly can I board this bus?
Thanks.

As I said earily on your thread, you can monitor the condition of the park through its webcam so you have a better idea of whether there's snow or not when you are about to go!

I haven't stayed in Shibu Onsen but the place is not big, so the bus stop shouldn't be hard to locate. If you need direction, I suppose staff in Kokuya can help. BTW, even without the access of internet, staff in Kokuya can tell you whether there is snow in the monkey park.

We stayed in Seifu-so in Yudonaka Onsen last autumn, they drove us to the Monkey Park and we took the bus back. It was one of my favourite ryokans, highly recommendable.

Hi Sari,
Did you accommodation at Seifu-so include a kaiseki dinner and japanese breakfast?
Thanks.