Kamakura snow hut and Snow monkey 1day tour

Kamakura snow hut

Kamakura Snow Hut is located just outside of Iiyama city in the northern most part of Nagano prefecture,where there is abundant snowfall in the winter.

The village is open for around one month, from the end of January to the end of February, and is made up of over 15 to 20 kamakura created from snow.

At night the kamakura are illuminated by lanterns, creating a beautiful fairytale-like atmosphere that is perfect for family, friends, and lovers alike.

You can enjoy a piping hot bowl of Noroshi Nabe (Hot Pot), served with locally grown Iiyama rice-balls inside our Restaurant Kamakura snow hut.

Paradise of Monkeys – Jigokudani Yaen Koen

The only place in the world where monkeys bathe in hot springs.

The Jigokudani Yaen-koen (altitude 850 meters) is located in the Valley of Yokoyu River sourced from Shiga-Kogen of the Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park in northern part of Nagano prefecture.

Because of the very steep cliffs and the steam coming off the springs in everywhere, ancient people called this valley ‘Jigokudani (Hell valley)’ .Also it is buried in snow almost one third of the year. Even that kind of severe environment here is a paradise on earth for monkeys to live in.

The troops of wild Japanese macaque (they are popularly known as snow monkeys) inhabit here naturally through the ages.Since the establishment of Jigokudani Yaen-koen in 1964, it has been a worldwide popular place for watching the bathing monkeys in a hot spring and for ecological observation of researchers or photographers,and some of them who visited here have accomplished certain results in the area.

In 1970, a photograph of bathing monkeys was appeared on the front page of LIFE and was reported by the world media.

And during the period of Nagano Olympics (1998), many people from the games visited here, such as athletes, Olympic officials and news media. Jigokudani yaen koen captured public attention with these topics.