The third in my trifecta on Japanese animals is about monkeys. For a country that is very dense and lacking space, there seem to be a lot of animals. In Kyoto, we went off the beaten path a bit and visited Arashiyama on the west side of the city. After a quick bus ride, we hiked up a mountain to Iwatayama Monkey Park – which was tough in such humid weather, I washed my shirt in sweat twice that day (well I had go down the mountain too)!
For not even $6, we African Lion Safari’d around a small park on top of a mountain overlooking Kyoto while various monkeys frolicked around us. I don’t think they’re actually monkeys though, but I’m not an animal expert.
The affordability of Japanese tourist attractions was surprising, and it’s not like they cheapen the experience. There was a park ranger at the top of the mountain, equipped with snacks, and he would lure a monkey and take pictures for you – for free!
Inside the air conditioned hut, older monkeys hung out because they knew this was where the real game was. We bought bags of peanuts or sweet potato for ¥200 each and were able to feed the monkeys through a screen. The older, more experienced ones would softly take your offerings from your palm, while the younger ones snatched it quickly – which was often quite necessary because a big fat monkey would climb over and push you away if you were slow.
I did spy a baby monkey too, but its parent was quite protective (and the baby was obedient) so it was difficult to get a nice shot. The babies are cute and adorable, but a bit too wrinky.
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