This is not a zoo. This is a monkey reserve they come and go freely. In fact

これらの猿は日本固有の特別な種です。

This is more like a Town Square and today I'm gonna be working here for the afternoon

ここは動物園ではなく、猿の保護区です

To get a closer look at the lives and society of these monkeys.

猿は自由に行き来します。まるで町の広場のようです。

And believe it or not they do not eat bananas.

今日の午後はここで働いて猿の生態と社会について探ります

Suimimasen (excuse me)

信じられないかもしれませんが、彼らはバナナを食べません

Let's see where exactly Ōita city and Takasakiyama are located in Japan

日本のどこに大分市と高崎山があるかをみてみましょう

We start in Kyushu

まずは九州

Ōita's on the eastern end

大分は東側にあります

Here Ōita City the capital of the prefecture and

こちらが大分市

Takasakiyama is just to the west right off the bay

大分県の県庁所在地で

At the base is the rail line and highway and behind the park entrance is pure wilderness where the monkeys live

高崎山はすぐ西に位置します

8:00 a.m. It's time for me to start my job at Takasakiyama monkey park

海のそばです

You can walk a few minutes up the steps or commute there by monorail

麓には線路と高速道路があります

This definitely is not the Shinkansen but it's a smooth ride to the office

公園のすぐ裏には野生の森が広がっています

All staff members must wear Takasakiyama Park uniforms

そこに猿が生息します

We're ready for the first task of the morning calling the monkeys down from the mountain for breakfast and a headcount

朝８時

Visitors aren't allowed up the mountain. But since we're on the job you're invited to join us

高崎山自然公園での仕事開始です

We are out here to confirm the situation to see how the monkeys are doing and

階段を少し上ることもできますが

See how the pack is

モノレールで通勤も可能です

Reacting day to day. It's every morning they do this kind of check on the monkeys

新幹線ではありませんが、事務所へは快適な交通手段です

This is when the bizarre monkey yelling started

スタッフは全員高崎山自然公園のユニフォームを着ます

Other staff members were higher up the mountain yelling and reporting on the population's movements

朝一番の仕事を開始します

Other than our yelling the forest beyond was quiet

朝ご飯のために山から猿を呼びます

Monkeys feel more secure at night up on the mountain in the trees and come down together every day

そして頭数計測

We got live reports by radio saying they were coming down slowly

入園者は山へは立ち入り禁止です

I'm geeing used to this if you make human voices human sounds and the monkeys know you're human

しかし我々は仕事なので入山することができます

You have to make something a little bit different. That's pretty different. It's pretty different.

今状況を確認しています

I wondered if it could be my presence that kept them away but then...

猿の様子はどうであるか、そして群の毎日の様子を見ています

The troupe started to make their way down little by little like this mother and baby

このように彼らは猿の様子を確認します

Nothing... but they're out there

この時に奇妙な猿の雄叫びが始まりました

It's pretty cool, we've got four or five of them now coming out of the dream

他のスタッフは山の高いところで叫び、群の動向をみていました。

Six seven eight nine

我々の雄叫び以外では森は静寂を保っていました

There's ten now monkeys that have come out of the forest to come and greet us.

猿は夜間は山中の木の上の方が安心します。

This is morning at Takasakiyama

そして毎日山を下りてきます

It's pretty cool. huh!

無線で猿が山を降りて来ていると報告を受けました

One of the bosses came out to let everyone know it was clear of danger

慣れて来ました

Not all monkeys commute by ground some take to the trees

人間の声や人のような雄叫びをあげると猿はそれがわかります

The young ones ride into town on their mother's backs, it's a lot more fun that way

なので違う音を出さなくてはいけません。今のはかなり違いますね

This is an important part of the job keeping the monkeys together so they don't go to surrounding farms

かなり違う

They're used to coming down to town for breakfast now, which keeps farmers happy

私の存在がもしかしたら猿を遠ざけていると思っていましたが、次の瞬間

So what exactly are these monkeys in Japan?

群が少しずつ山を下りて来ました

Ōita is just one of many places where the Japanese macaque reside

この親子のように

What makes them special is that

何も聞こえない

They're the only native monkey in Japan and they get their name as the snow monkeys because no other primate lives more north than them

でもいるはずです

The Japanese macaque is the king of the cold

面白いです。４、５匹ジャングルから出て来ました

They can deal with temperatures as cold as minus 20 degrees Celsius

６、７、８．９、１０匹の猿が森から出て来ました。

Their average lifespan is about 6 years in the wild and around 28 to 30 in captivity

我々に挨拶しに来ました。

monkey is saru (猿) in Japanese

これが高崎山の朝です

The nihon saru is part of Japanese folklore and is respected

素晴らしい

Except maybe by the farmers which is why the park exists

ボスの一人が群に安全を知らせるために出て来ました

It opened in 1952 after World War 2 when food supplies for humans were low, and it kept the monkeys and humans in harmony

全ての猿が歩いてくるわけではありません

With about 1200 monkeys here. Takasakiyama's monkey troops are some of the biggest in the world

中には木を伝ってやってくるのも

It's a family friendly place for both monkey and human

幼い猿は母猿の背中に乗ってやって来ます

Feeding time several times a day staff fill a bucket full of barley

こちらの方が楽しそうです

And I can't be late the monkeys know exactly when feeding time takes place

これは重要な仕事です。猿が周辺の農場に行ってしまわないようにする為です

experienced staff moves quickly. It will be hard to move the same way my first time

今では朝ご飯を食べに下山するのが習慣になっています。農家も安心です

You can hear the monkey speaking they know it wasn't the usual guy on duty

これらの猿は一体何でしょうか？

Paying respect to the bosses like this confused them, but I wanted to get on their good side

大分は日本でニホンザルの生息する県の一つです。

It really does take time to get to know the monkeys like the staff does

何が特別かというと、日本固有の猿であることです

Sometimes feeding them different caused fights to break down

別名スノーモンキーと呼ばれる所以は霊長類で彼らより北に住む種がいないからです

the society has rules

ニホンザルは寒さの王様です

Thankfully I was untouchable, you know as the food guy, but they are sneaky sometimes

彼らは−２０度でも過ごすことができます

But they don't just guess barley it's time for dinner the sweet potato cart race

平均寿命は野生では６年間

It's a way for them to show off their speed and agility to the troop

保護下では２８年から３０年生きます

It gets pretty crazy out there like a mosh pit I'll show you from three angle's

モンキーは日本語で「猿」と言います

After they get one or two sweet potatoes the troop scatters for some good eating

ニホンザルは日本の神話にも登場し、大事にされています

After you get your sweet potato you sneak of fast. Before the big guys swipe one from you

農家にとっては別でしょうが

The monkey park is set up with urban services like a city. There's waste management

だからこそ、この自然動物園が存在します

One of our duties is to protect and serve the public make sure humans and monkeys get along

戦後１９５２年に開園しました

Society has rules!

人間の食料も足らなかった時期です

The park gives visitors a chance to see the nihonzaru society in the wild roaming free

ここで人間と猿の関係は均衡に保たれました

Here are the rules you humans need to know.

ここには１２００頭ほどいますが

1. Don't feed them.

高崎山の猿の数は世界でも最大級です

2. Don't touch or pet the monkeys

猿にとっても人間にとってもファミリーで楽しめる場所です

3. Don't make fun of them. No one likes that!

食事の時間です

4. And don't stare into their eyes

1日に数回スタッフはバケツ一杯大麦を貯めます

It's said if the monkey runs between your legs it brings good luck and many visitors try

遅刻できません

It's been a pretty cool experience working here so far

猿は食事の時間を正確に知っています

after a couple of hours you start to see that a lot of the monkeys really do have

熟練のスタッフは動きが早いです

Like a personality to them you could tell by looking at their faces

初めての私は同じような動きは難しいでしょう

It just, it just takes a little bit of time to get used to seeing their faces, I think

猿がしゃべっているのが聞こえます

But yeah, you know you work here for a day. These aren't monkeys anymore. These are kind of like

いつも餌をくれる人と違うと気づいたようです

Friends, You get to know them

このようにボス猿に敬意を払うと猿は戸惑います

I asked Sugimoto-san about the park, how she got started? and why this place exists?

ただご機嫌をとりたかったのです

This is a really special experience for me, to see this from the other side

スタッフのように猿を知るのには時間がかかります

The great thing about this monkey reserve is that they

いつもと違う餌のやり方は喧嘩を招きます

Live free up there in the mountain and come down here whenever they want

社会ルールがあるようです

As someone who had a chance to see the other side as a staff

私は「エサやり係」として危害を加えられませんでした

You have to have a really great love for the monkeys to do this job

ただ時としてズル賢いのです

I think and you can see that by talking to

小麦だけを食べている訳ではなく

Sugimoto-san and seeing the staff really care for the monkeys that meant a lot to me

メインコースの時間です。さつま芋カートの競争です

I think if you're interested in coming to Ōita

群れに速さと機敏さを見せつける時間です

There's a lot of stuff to do if you don't want monkey food

かなりクレイジーです

Grab some toriten and some Japanese sake

まるでロックのコンサートのようです。3つの角度からどうぞ

Ready to hear about Ōita city?

1つか2つサツマイモを手に入れると群れは散り散りになります

Right at the airport. You're greeted with food on the luggage belt

さつま芋を取ったら一目散に逃げること

You've got some of the best seafood in Japan like Seki Saba and sekiaji

デカ猿に奪われる前に

Ōita's famous for it and also for its chicken. They're serious about it! toriten is a must

猿公園は都市のように整備されています

As is their karaage Japanese deep-fried chicken the city center is easy to navigate in a stop at the retro Miyako machi is a must

ゴミ掃除が行われます

It really is an adventure budget airlines fly here in a little over an hour from Tokyo

我々の任務の一つは公共の秩序を保つことです

and the monkeys will be waiting to

人間と猿が共存するためにも

Ōita city is also one of the venues for the Rugby World Cup

社会にはルールがあります

It was great to spend the day working with people that are passionate about their job

この公園で人間は野生の中で行き来する猿の社会を垣間見ることができます

otsukaresama deshita

人間が知るべきルールはこちら

I'll be back again to visit my friends on staff and also those living in the trees all around them and

餌を与えない

And as we say in the nehon sashi world. Thank you

触らない

If you liked it hit that subscribe button and check out another one of our shows

からかわない

don't miss my second live streaming channel ONLY in JAPAN * GO

誰もそれを好みません

And check out location photos on Instagram http://instagram.com/onlyinjapantv

そして目を覗き込まない

Matane (see you later)

猿が足の間を通ると幸運になると言われています