An absolute highlight in Japan! Here in the mountains, you can watch wild monkeys bathing in the onsen (hot springs) in a protected area. The area was created almost 60 years ago to create a protected habitat for the monkeys. It is not a zoo and the animals are not caged. This means that there is no guarantee that you will see any. It's best to ask at a tourist information office as they have access to the cameras installed in the park. It gets very cold here in winter and the snow provides a great contrast for photographing the monkeys. I was there in the fall and was therefore able to watch the many baby monkeys frolicking around. The park is super peaceful, the monkeys are not aggressive and seem very relaxed due to the river and the springs. An absolute recommendation if you are near Nagano!