Once we arrived, the effort was well worth it. There were snow monkeys everywhere! The animals congregate in this valley because of its protected location between steep cliffs. The area also has a large food supply, fresh water, and even an onsen!
The area is a natural habitat for the monkeys and there aren't any fences to keep them contained. A lot of tourists visit them though, so it is obvious that the monkeys have become desensitized to humans. They were completely oblivious to all the people. Greg was able to get right next to them at the onsen to take a picture.
The monkeys were feeling quite photogenic, and I was able to get a couple of pictures of them cleaning each other and hanging out on a fence. I even got one of the babies to come out of the water for a picture!
Nick, one of the AGE students, spent his time quietly observing one of the monkeys alone. After a few minutes, he realized that it was digging into the snow for seeds that had fallen from the trees. Nick quickly decided to climb into the snow and join the monkey in its search. When Nick found seeds, he would put them into his hand and gently open his palm towards the monkey. As the monkey reached for the seed, a moment of two conflicting worlds in beautiful harmony prevailed. 
Not one to miss out on the experience, I quickly climbed into the snow bank with Nick and started digging. After I collected a number of seeds, I found a new friend to share them.
After visiting the monkeys, the day trip was complete with a stop to the most popular onsen in Japan. Despite its popularity, I was able to have it all to myself during the lull of a Thursday afternoon. One look let's you know why it is Japan's favorite. 
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