Kanbayashi Onsen

Kanbayashi Onsen nestles in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture near the Shiga Kogen highland plateau, close to one of Japan's most famous and uniquely Japanese wildlife spectacles: the Japanese macaques — snow monkeys — that descend from the surrounding forests to warm themselves in geothermal pools during Nagano's harsh mountain winters, creating an image that has become iconic worldwide. The spring's simple thermal waters are gentle and accessible, making Kanbayashi Onsen a welcoming destination for visitors of all ages who combine the pleasures of thermal bathing with the unforgettable experience of watching wild macaques soak alongside them in the steaming waters of nearby Jigokudani. Set amid deep cedar and birch forest at high altitude, this spring captures the wild, elemental spirit of Nagano's mountain onsen culture at its most primal and most distinctively Japanese.