Monkeys Go Bananas in Yugawara Hot Spring Town

Residents say the problem has reached alarming levels. One man recalled waking up to find a monkey sitting at his dining table eating bananas. “I thought it was a backpack left on the table, but it was a monkey helping itself,” he said. Another resident explained that blueberry crops were stripped bare, while others described monkeys tearing through window screens and entering homes. “They’re used to people now, they don’t even run away,” one resident said.

According to the town’s survey, more than 26,000 cases of damage to daily life have been reported over the past three years, including 930 incidents of injury to people just last year. Some residents said monkeys lifted window screens with surprising dexterity to slip inside and steal food.

The animals have been spotted all across town—rattling parked motorcycles at golf courses, attempting to break into produce shops, and even invading accommodation facilities. At the 90-year-old hot spring inn Fukiya, monkeys climbed over the roof and entered the outdoor bath changing rooms, scattering amenities. “We can only scare them off with toy guns, but that’s about the only countermeasure we’ve thought of,” said innkeeper Mariko Yamamoto.

At a guesthouse popular with foreign tourists, monkeys tore holes in walls, chewed through internet cables, and even cut off Wi-Fi service. “When they threatened us and I had nothing in my hands, the only option was to kick them away with my foot. It was frightening,” said Masato Hyakutake, manager of Share House Yugawara. He added that the facility has since reinforced its doors, repaired walls with acrylic boards, and rerouted cables indoors to prevent further damage.

Faced with the escalating problem, Yugawara Town officials said they plan to work with Kanagawa Prefecture and other authorities with the goal of capturing all monkeys responsible for the damage.

Source: TBS