{"id":4279,"date":"2024-03-15T16:10:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T06:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=4279"},"modified":"2024-03-15T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T06:10:12","slug":"monkeys-and-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=4279","title":{"rendered":"Monkeys and Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Jigokudani Monkey Park, in Nagano, Japan. The park is famous for the Japanese macaque monkeys who live there, and bathe in the onsen, a natural mineral hot spring. During the winter, when temperatures plunge to -8\u2103 and there is substantial snowfall, they spend their days sitting in the warm water, preening each other, and looking blissed out.

The monkeys are wild and live in the mountains around Jigokudani Park. In 1864, K\u014drakukan, a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn opened, for travellers to visit and enjoy the waters in riverside baths. The monkeys began visiting the baths, and to discourage the behaviour, park officials decided to build the monkeys a private bath of their own. Over time, the monkeys have developed their own bathing culture.

It\u2019s fascinating to watch the monkeys sitting around. There are no cages, or confinement of any kind. They return to the trees in the mountains above their onsen at night, and return in the morning. People are not allowed to touch the monkeys, and they seem oblivious to humans, walking through the legs of visitors, and doing their own thing.

After I caught my breath at the sight of these amazing creatures, I quickly noticed a very cute, very young little guy, who was breastfeeding in the water. His mum looked exasperated, and I could relate to the feeling, after my own breastfeeding experiences. She looked like she wanted a break. The little guy began jumping in and out of the water, onto rocks and then onto his mum\u2019s head. He then began swimming for the edge, hauled himself out, and started crying out for her. The cries sounded like the chirping of crickets, and the baby looked like Gizmo, from Gremlins. I started filming. He was so adorable.

On the bus on the way home I decided to share my video on social media as a reel. Unfortunately, as I have several accounts, rather than sharing it to my Japan account, I shared it to my personal account. I had no idea it would go viral.

It currently has 187,239 views, 4,781 likes, and has been shared 587 times. It has led to around 700 new followers, and a barrage of trolling. People accusing me of taking the baby away from its mother, and others telling me to do awful things to it. It\u2019s been an interesting learning opportunity. I have been overwhelmed by the response, and annoyed with myself it wasn\u2019t on my other profile. It also has made little difference to my overall page stats, and anyone who is just waiting for that one magical post\u2026it may not be what it seems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Jigokudani Monkey Park, in Nagano, Japan. The park is famous for the Japanese macaque monkeys who live …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[601,250,8,600,602,15,17,16],"class_list":["post-4279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travelarium","tag-japan","tag-kylie-eklund-denman","tag-mountain-ash-chapter","tag-snow-monkeys","tag-social-media","tag-travel","tag-travel-writing","tag-travelarium"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_6325-rotated-e1710377419476.jpeg?fit=600%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pff1uY-171","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":161,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=161","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":0},"title":"Tokyo Book and Bed","author":"Kylie Eklund-Denman","date":"November 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever wished you could stow away in a bookshop over night? I have always been a bookworm. I was able to navigate my way to and from the train station without taking my eyes away from the words. I could read for hours at a time, in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelarium"","block_context":{"text":"Travelarium","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8AF92732-E12C-4C14-B07D-80A63A726672.jpeg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8AF92732-E12C-4C14-B07D-80A63A726672.jpeg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8AF92732-E12C-4C14-B07D-80A63A726672.jpeg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8AF92732-E12C-4C14-B07D-80A63A726672.jpeg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/8AF92732-E12C-4C14-B07D-80A63A726672.jpeg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1183,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=1183","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":1},"title":"Melbourne, In Pictures","author":"Kylie Eklund-Denman","date":"June 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Melbourne is my home. It is a city of many faces with a big personality. It is edgy, yet sophisticated. Always changing, but familiar. The city has abundant excellent restaurants and bars, spoiling Melburnians with choice. Lively laneways are frequented by citizens and visitors from a myriad of diverse backgrounds.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelarium"","block_context":{"text":"Travelarium","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Morris-Journalism-2-of-20-2-scaled-e1654593856152.jpeg?fit=942%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Morris-Journalism-2-of-20-2-scaled-e1654593856152.jpeg?fit=942%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Morris-Journalism-2-of-20-2-scaled-e1654593856152.jpeg?fit=942%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Morris-Journalism-2-of-20-2-scaled-e1654593856152.jpeg?fit=942%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3485,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=3485","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":2},"title":"Sky","author":"Mountain Ash Chapter","date":"May 2, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I am beneath the open skyI think about how it's nothingThe sky is nothingAnd there is nothing above my heart There is nothing between me and the moonI can reach up and feelThe weight of itThe weight of the moon in my palm There is nothing between meAnd another\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/david-boca-Q7veAYoK0_o-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/david-boca-Q7veAYoK0_o-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/david-boca-Q7veAYoK0_o-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/david-boca-Q7veAYoK0_o-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4159,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=4159","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":3},"title":"Yellowface by R. F. Kuang – A Review","author":"Amanda Gambas","date":"February 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Every page of Rebecca F Kuang\u2019s Yellowface had me internally groaning and pulling ugly faces. The fact I kept reading is a testament to the author\u2019s ability to write a gripping story held together by a morally bankrupt plot and unlikable characters. Yellowface is a rollercoaster tale of greed, lies\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Review"","block_context":{"text":"Review","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-6.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-6.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-6.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-6.png?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1852,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=1852","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":4},"title":"Lightscape, A Psychedelic Winter Wonderland\ufffc","author":"Kylie Eklund-Denman","date":"July 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The deep resonance of digeridoo welcomes you through the gates of Lightscape, at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. Mandalas, created of light, shine Australian animal motives on to the path as I enter. There is a whimsical sense of fairy-tale in the air. Following the path in the dark\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelarium"","block_context":{"text":"Travelarium","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Library-7-of-17-scaled-e1659059203249.jpeg?fit=837%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Library-7-of-17-scaled-e1659059203249.jpeg?fit=837%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Library-7-of-17-scaled-e1659059203249.jpeg?fit=837%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Library-7-of-17-scaled-e1659059203249.jpeg?fit=837%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2817,"url":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?p=2817","url_meta":{"origin":4279,"position":5},"title":"Canada, eh??","author":"Kylie Eklund-Denman","date":"November 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I have just returned from Canada. Winnipeg and Vancouver. I always thought that Canada would be really similar to Australia. I was right, in some respects...Colonial history and human rights atrocities, mostly English speaking (but also French), I mean we come from the same basic lineage, right? While some things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelarium"","block_context":{"text":"Travelarium","link":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Library-1-of-1-e1667375101283.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Library-1-of-1-e1667375101283.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Library-1-of-1-e1667375101283.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Library-1-of-1-e1667375101283.jpeg?fit=720%2C540&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4279"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4295,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279\/revisions\/4295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainashchapter.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}