Rules for Visiting Arashiyama Monkey Park: Don’t Touch, Do Respect

Rule 1: No touching

The monkeys at the park are wild Japanese macaques, not domesticated. They are not pets. Do not touch them, even if they seem calm or approach you. A startled or territorial monkey will bite. Bites are painful, can become infected, and may require medical attention. Keep your hands to yourself. Do not feed them by hand. Do not pet them. Do not take photos by reaching toward them.

Rule 2: No direct eye contact

In monkey social language, direct staring is a threat display. If a monkey locks eyes with you and stares back, the monkey is warning you. Look away. Do not stare into a monkey’s eyes, especially if it is showing teeth or looking agitated.

Rule 3: Do not crouch near monkeys

Crouching or squatting makes you look smaller and less threatening to humans, but to a monkey, it looks like you are about to pounce. Stay upright. If a monkey approaches, stand up straight and back away slowly. Do not run.

Rule 4: Keep food and bags hidden

Monkeys steal. Keep snacks, water bottles, and personal items in your backpack, zipped and fastened. Do not eat openly; a monkey will swoop in and grab your food. Plastic bags are attractive to monkeys (they look like food wrapping); keep them in your bag.

The feeding hut: the humans are the ones in the cage

The one exception to the "no feeding" rule is the rest hut at the summit. Here, humans sit inside a protective cage and feed monkeys through the wire mesh from a safe distance. You buy a ¥100 bag of sliced apples or roasted peanuts at the hut and place the food on a small ledge or stick it through the mesh. The monkeys eat from outside the cage. This is the park’s famous "role reversal": the humans are locked in, the monkeys roam free. It is safe and memorable.

This is the only place where direct contact (even through mesh) with food happens. Do not attempt feeding anywhere else on the mountain.

Why these rules exist

The park is called a "park," but it is a working habitat for ~120 wild macaques. The rules protect both you and them. A bitten or injured visitor creates conflict; monkeys fed by hand become dependent and aggressive. Following the rules ensures the monkeys remain wild, the visit is safe, and everyone leaves happy.

Frequently asked questions