The Roving Ronin Report

Here are a few short clips of Japanese Macaque or Snow Monkey taken at Jigokudani Park in Nagano Prefecture. Japanese Snow Monkeys at Jigokudani Park in Nagano Japanese snow monkeys get excited as feeding time approaches. Dignified Snow Monkey Enjoying his Bath This scene reminds of the art film Baraka which had a scene of a snow monkey (might even be the same one) staring contently from his hot springs bath. Japanese Snow Monkey enjoys a hot springs massage Just like humans, Japanese Snow Monkeys like to unwind and relax at hot springs. Baby Snow Monkey with Mother A Baby Snow Monkey with its mother. Another baby monkey darts by on the left.

Japanese Snow Monkeys Enjoy a Warm Dip to fight Winter’s Chill Generally when one thinks of monkeys and their environment, one imagines tropical jungles, not snowy hills. This is what makes the native Japanese monkey, the macaque or “snow monkey,” so unique. The Japanese macaque is the only species of monkey that lives as far north as it does. Macaques can be found in several places in Japan in environments raging from subtropical to sub-alpine. The northernmost group of Japanese macaque grow thick furry coats in winter. Japanese Macaques have thick winter coats In the 1970s Life magazine first featured the Japanese macaque monkey enjoying a wintry dip in a hot springs near Nagano. Thus was born the international fame of the so-called “snow monkeys” of Japan. With their thick fur coats, almost human-like faces, and their deep, soulful eyes, the snow monkeys quickly won the hearts of people worldwide. Playing in the snow Macaques grow to 79 to 95 cm (2 to 4 feet) and weigh 10 to 14 kg (...

In Aomori Prefecture, the city of Hirosaki puts on a simple but elegant snow lantern festival early-mid February. They construct japanese garden-style lanterns out of snow and place small portraits on them which are illuminated at night. The portraits depict Japanese women, samurai, and legendary Chinese heroes particularly from the epics - Three Kingdoms and the Outlaws of the Marsh. The music they play in the background however leaves a tad to be desired but it makes for a bit of surrealness. Music by: The Secret Commonwealth

Japanese Snow Lantern Festival Brightening up the Winter Sky Snow Lantern Festival of Hirosaki Winters are long in Tohoku, the northern region of mainland Japan. Snow and ice are common fare there. A skier’s boon but a common man’s burden. In ages past before sports skiing and winter fashion, winter was something to be dreaded and suffered through. It is no wonder that a multitude of snow festivals dot the Tohoku region. These festivals are the locals’ way of making Winter seem little less unfriendly and little less bleak. Hirosaki Castle One such festival takes place in the city of Hirosaki in the Aomori Prefecture which is the northernmost area of the Japanese mainland. Capitalizing on the beauty of winter, residents of Hirosaki create lanterns made completely made of snow in early February. The lanterns for the most part resemble the type of lantern found in Japanese gardens and shrines. There are hundreds of these spread through the grounds of Hirosaki Castle. Some of the snow lant...

SAVE THE NINJA!!! The Enigmatic Japanese Ninja Cheap fuel-efficient cars, VCRs, and stereos weren’t the only Japanese exports that flooded into America during the 70s and 80s. The plucky indigenous ninja cleverly smuggled themselves over the sea to dazzle American audiences with their seemingly magical martial arts abilities. They were soon to find fertile ground in American pop-culture and almost immediately a Ninja Boom was born. There was a time when ninja were as abundant as the stars in the skies. They were everywhere in America. They were in movies, on TV programs, in comic books, in newspaper personals, on street corners. Masterpiece Ninja Theater: “Who’s Afraid of Hattori Hanzo?” Just opening the pages of any comic book back then you could find throngs of ninja taking on small bands of heroes. On TV you could watch ninja fight each other, the A-team, greying old ex-pats, G.I. Joe, and so on. Less respectable movie theaters showed Ninja movies every other week. In bookstores, yo...

A Visit to Dracula's Tomb Vlad Tepes - the original Dracula Romania is a beautiful country. I had plenty of time to admire it since it takes forever to get anywhere in that country. In the land of Dracula, it’s not vampires that one should dread but the slow transportation system. Communism’s lazy hand still lingers over the land when it comes to public transportation. In much poorer countries like Egypt you can always get something from bus, minivan, to camel to get you just about anywhere. Enterprising Romanians are making efforts, however, to make mass public transportation more effective ( note:   this was in 2003 ). Mini-van taxis called “Maxi-Taxis” are springing up in many areas providing short-distance travel for locals and intrepid independent travelers. Still for those short on time, it might be best to go on a tour where the transportation is reliable and guaranteed. Count Dracula - Romania’s cash cow that sucks up the tourist dollars I just wanted to go a simple 38 kilo...