Japanese macaques soak in a hot spring at the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden in Hokkaido, January 14.
At the Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden in Hokkaido, Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, are enjoying a soak in an open-air bath. The annual event, held every winter, is a popular attraction for visitors and runs through early May.
On January 14, as light powdery snow fell, tourists watched the monkeys relax in the steaming bath, their relaxed expressions offering a soothing sight. Some balanced clumps of snow on their heads like towels, resting their hands on the edge of the pool as they gazed outside, while others quietly groomed one another.
A Popular Bath
Kumi Norimine, a homemaker visiting from Fukuoka City, smiled as she watched. "When they get out of the water, they look so cold — it makes you want to towel them off," she said.
Staying at a nearby hot-spring inn with her family, they had also enjoyed an outdoor bath in the snow. Her daughter, Mei, said, "I soaked in an open-air bath last night too, so I know exactly how good it feels."
According to the garden, about 80 percent of its 33 macaques regularly use the hot spring. Some are such enthusiastic bathers that they even sneak in for a soak at night.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
