Jigokudani, home of the world-famous snow monkeys, is a three to four hour drive from Tokyo and close to the quaint town of Nagano. These Japanese Macaques are known as snow monkeys because they live in an area covered with snow several months of the year. To keep warm they huddle together and enjoy the hot springs common in Japan. They spend endless hours grooming one another. They're incredible creatures to watch, their hands and facial expressions so human like. Because they’re indifferent to visitors it’s possible to spend hours in their company, observing and photographing. You can see additional images of snow monkeys in my Japan-Snow Monkeys gallery.
Clicking on this image will take you to the Japan-Snow Monkeys gallery.