The
monkeys
wore
soccer
uniforms.
Six Japanese macaques standing erect on
leashes obediently kicked the ball up and
down the turf as their human trainers and a
crowd of spectators cheered them on in a mock
Japan-versus-Brazil match.
The monkeys in blue jerseys (Japan) looked
sturdier, with fat tails sticking through the holes
cut in their pants, but Brazil’s yellow lineup was
quick—especially when player 10 stopped lick-
ing its hands. Suddenly, 10 got the ball, kicked,
and scored. Victory! Japan’s team bowed. And
the crowd exploded in laughter.
This was just one of the warm-up acts to
the main event in the indoor amphitheater at
Japan’s Nikko Saru Gundan, a roadside attrac-
tion off Route 121 in Nikko City. Wandering
around the courtyard, I saw a macaque in diapers
and an orange leisure suit trounce a five-year-old
visitor in a game of air hockey. Every time the
puck came its way, the monkey smacked it back
toward the challenger’s goal. Another monkey
doled out fortunes. On the main outdoor stage, aAt Joshin’etsukogen
National Park, in a
volcanic region on the
island of Honshu, “snow
monkeys” lounge in
hot springs. Years ago,
after people began
feeding the monkeys
to draw them away
from their farms and
houses, the animals
became a popular
tourist attraction. Park
staff feed them today.WILDLIFE WATCH
102 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC