I thought that I should elaborate on my earlier post for those wanting to know how to get to the Snow Monkeys of Japan.
The principal points along the route are Nagano, Yudanaka, Kanbayashi Onsen and Jigokudani.
First, make your way to Nagano. We took the train from Matsumoto to Nagano, thus adding an extra hour each way to the trip.
Once in Nagano, go outside the station and find the Nagano Dentetsu subway entrance. I think that they’re probably on all sides of the station, but don’t really know. We asked a station employee using just the word "Yudanaka?" (Phrased as a question.) He pointed us in the correct direction. Once at the underground ticket counter I once again used the "Yudanaka?" word. The ticket agent probably gets a lot of blundering tourists such as ourselves because he was able to show us on the timetable where we had to transfer, point us to the correct track and even work the ticket machine for us.
It starts as a subway but then soon reaches the surface. We transferred in Suzaka, having taken the "Limited Express." Only 4 minutes to switch trains, but the correct train was already waiting right across the platform. This, by the way, is a very pleasant train ride through highland fields and villages. Someday it would be nice to just randomly get off at one of the stops and wander around.
As you exit the station in Yudanaka, restrooms are to the left, bus station is to the right. You buy your tickets at the bus station ticket window—the ticket lady understood some English.
I’ve already mentioned our not getting off at the right stop. Make sure the bus driver knows that you want to get off at Kanbayashi Onsen. (This is part one, part two can be found here.)
Photos: Map to Monkey Park; Nagano-Yudanaka Timetable; Yudanaka Station—Japan, 2008
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