Snow Monkey Baby
地獄谷のスノーモンキーはお正月って分かるかな？私の昔のホストブラザーが遊びに来てくれたので、連れて行きました。休日だったお蔭で、野猿公苑に人間が多かったけどお猿は負けないぐらいに多くて、友達が大喜び。（もちろん、私も楽しく写真を撮っていました。）
冬の間は地獄谷野猿公苑の登り口が上林温泉となる。今までは入口にある杢兵衛は冬にしまっていたけど、この頃は「ほぼ年中無休」となりました。帰りは友達が五平餅を買って、美味しく食べていました。杢兵衛さんは五平餅以外、日本そば、中華そば（=ラーメン）と伊太利そば（？=スパゲティー）の麺類三種類があります。
五平餅とスパゲティー？すごい組み合わせ。まあ、私は言う立場じゃないですけどね （伝統的な温泉旅館の青い目の若旦那なので…）
ちなみに、私達家族の決まりは野猿野猿公苑の川の向こう川の後楽館のちまきとお蕎麦です。入口に可愛い看板があります。
I wonder if the Jigokudan snow monkeys realize it's New Years. They seemed oblivious to the larger than normal crowd of people there for the New Years holiday. My old host brother was visiting, so we took him and his family to go see the monkeys. They really enjoyed seeing them, and I got to take a few choice pictures of the monkeys bathing in the onsen, including a really cute baby monkey.
During the winter months, the main access to the snow monkey park is via Kanbayashi Onsen. Near the path entrance is a small restaurant that had previously been closed during the winter. However, Mokubei was open and happily selling their trademark goheimochi (sticky rice with a sweat sauce) as well a Japanese, Chinese and Italian mix of noodle dishes -- soba, ramen, and ... spaghetti.
Hmm, goheimochi and spaghetti -- a rather odd combination. However, I am not one to talk, being the blue-eyed proprietor of a traditional Japanese inn.
By the way, our family's favorite spot for eating by the snow monkeys is the rustic ryokan across the river from the park -- Korakukan. We especially love their 'chimaki' (rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) in addition to their soba.
Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park
Mokubei
Kanbayashi Onsen map
Gohei mochi, soba, and ... spaghetti? Mokubei by the entrance to the snow monkeys path
Monkeys to the right, people (for chimaki) to the left
