Basic information of Japanese macaque(Macaca fuscata)

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１．what was your job with the monkey ?

We, the surveyors of wild Japanese macaques, are counting the population of wild Japanese macaques living in the mountains of Japan and examining their habitat.
The obtained data will be used for ecological research on Japanese macaques.

２．What is the specificity of japanese monkeys ?

Japanese macaque(Macaca fuscata) is a species of primate of the Cercopithecidae family, and it is endemic to Japan.

Japanese macaque that inhabit the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture are known as the northernmost monkeys among primates except humans.[1]

Japanese macaque eats various kinds of food such as seeds, leaves, flowers, mushrooms, and insects while eating fruits as their staple food.[2]

A troop of them consists of multiple males and multiple females.[3]

The size of the troop varies greatly depending on the region, ranging from 10 to 120 individuals.[4]

Generally, females spend their life in mother troop, while males desert from mother troop before sexual maturity.[5]


３． We see many japanese macaques take a bath, they take it frequently ?

For people from overseas, Japanese macaque is famous for entering hot springs．

However, in fact, the wild Japanese macaques that enter natural hot springs are only monkeys living in “Jigokudani Yaen-Koen” in Nagano Prefecture.
▶︎Jigokudani Yaen-Koen

You can also see Japanese macaques in the hot springs at the zoo.
▶︎Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden

４．What is the place of japanese macaque in japanese society ?

People living in urban areas do not have the opportunity to see Japanese macaques, so some people travel domestically to see Japanese macaques.

Japanese macaques living in 6 places are designated as natural monuments by the country[6], and they are tourist attractions in each area.

However, Japanese macaques are sometimes hated by farmers because they damage crops.(e.g. [7])

According to MAFF [8], the damage to agricultural products caused by Japanese macaques throughout Japan in 2018 amounted to 820 million yen (about 7.78 million US dollars).


５．Is it endangered ?

Although 60% of the world's primate species are believed to be endangered currently[9], Japanese macaques are classified in the least endangered category “LC：Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.[10]

In 2011, it is estimated that 145,000 to 165,000 Japanese macaques inhabit all over Japan．[11]

This number is very large considering the area of ​​Japan.

Therefore, except for some areas, it can be seen in mountains all over Japan.

６．What are the conservation measures for the species ?

One major issue related to the conservation of Japanese macaques is the issue of alien species.

In recent years, hybridization of Japanese macaques with introduced Formosan macaques(Macaca cyclopis) and Rhesus monkeys(Macaca mulatta) have been reported in various parts of Japan.(e.g. [12][13])

The cause is that the introduced macaques that were originally bred escaped and became wild.[14]

There is a risk that all native Japanese macaque will be replaced by hybrid species, so there is an urgent need to eliminate the introduced macaques immediately.


Written by Yuji Akaoka
Graduate School of Asian and Africa Studies,
Division of African Area Studies, Kyoto University

●Reference
[1] Agency for Cultural Affairs (Government of Japan). 1970. 下北半島のサルおよびサル生息北限地(The northern limit of monkeys in the Shimokita Peninsula). Nationally designated cultural property database.

[2] Sawada, A. 2017. 食性と食物選択(Feeding habits and food selection)．Monkeys of Japan：A mammalogical Studies of Japanese Macaques. Yamato Tsuji and Naofumi Nakagawa, Editors. University of Tokyo Press. pp.17-37

[3] Itani, J. 1973. 高崎山のサル(Takasakiyama monkey). Kodansha. June 1973

[4]Takasaki, H. 1981. Troop Size, Habitat Quality, and Home Range Area in Japanese Macaque. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1981, vol.9, No.4(1981), pp.227-281

[5] Sugiyama, Y. Ohsawa, H. 1974. Life History of Male Japanese Macaques at Ryozenyama. Contemporary Primatology. 5th Int. congr. Primat. Nagoya 1974. pp.407-411

[6] Agency for Cultural Affairs (Government of Japan). Nationally designated cultural property database．

[7] Suzuki, K. 2007. Monkey Damage in the Shimokita Peninsula and Farmers' Complicated Recognition of the Damage: A Dilemma between Multiple Agriculture and Animal Control Measures．The Japanese Association for Environmental Sociology．13(0), 184-193, 2007

[8] MAFF(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Government of Japan). 2018. Crop damage caused by wild animals nationwide.

[9] Estrada, A. Garber,P, A. Rylands, A, B. Roos,C. Fernandez-Duque, E. Fiore, A, D. Nekaris, K, A. Nijman, V. Heymann, E, W. Lambert, J, E. Rovero, F. Barelli, C. Setchell, J, M. Gillespie, T, R. Mittermeier, R, A. Arregoitia, L, V. Guinea, M. Gouveia, S. Dobrovolski, R. Shanee, S. Shanee, N. Boyle, S, A. Fuentes, A. MacKinnon, K, C. Amato, K, R. Meyer, A, L, S. Wich, S. Sussman, R, W. Pan, P. Kone, I. Li, B. 2017. Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter. Science Advances 18 Jan 2017:
Vol. 3, no. 1, e1600946

[10] IUCN Red List. Japanese Macaque(Macaca fuscata)

[11] Ministry of Environment(Government of Japan). 2011. 平成 22 年度自然環境保全基礎調査 特定哺乳類生息状況調査及び調査体制構築検討業務 報告書. 平成 23 年（2011 年）2月

[12] Kawamoto, Y. Kawamoto, S. Kawai, S. 2005. Hybridization of Introduced Taiwanese Macaques with Native Japanese Macaques in Shimokita Peninsula, Aomori, Japan. Primate Res. 21: 11-18, 2005

[13] Kawamoto, Y. Kawamoto, S. Kawai, S. Shirai, K. Yoshida, A. Hagihara, K. Shiratori, D. Naoi, Y. Status Report of Hybridization in an Introduced Population of Rhesus Macaques(Macaca mulatta) with Native Japanese Macaques(M. fuscata) in the Bousou Peninsula, Chiba, Japan. Primates Res. 23: 81-89. 2007

[14] Shirai, K. 2013. Positioned as an overview of the rhesus monkey problem in Chiba Prefecture. Considering the problem of an introduced population of rhesus monkeys in Chiba Prefecture. Ohashi, T. Kawamura, S. Takenoshita, Y. Asada, M. Yamada, F. editors. Primate Res. psj.26.015