Takasaki Monkey Park

Takasakiyama Monkey Park (高崎山自然動物園, Takasakiyama Shizen Dōbutsuen), located at the base of Mount Takasaki, offers a unique experience with over 1500 wild Japanese macaques. This park is home to two separate troops of about 700-800 monkeys, some of the largest in the world. Visitors can watch the monkeys during their feeding times, when they scurry around, play, or groom each other, almost oblivious to human presence. The park, which opened in 1952, serves as both a popular tourist destination and a way to manage the local monkey population that once conflicted with residents and farmers.

The monkeys are fed regularly by park wardens, ensuring they stay away from surrounding fields. The park is easily accessible by car or bus, with a large parking lot near the Umitamago Aquarium. A short walk or monorail ride leads visitors to the park’s main area, where most of the monkeys gather. Feeding times are a spectacle, with monkeys competing for food, making for an exciting and memorable visit.