Japanese macaque
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Japanese macaques can store food in their cheek pouches and eat it later.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Japanese macaque
- Scientific name
- Macaca fuscata
- Japanese name
- ニホンザル
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Macaca
This page covers the Japanese macaque as a species; those on Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu are classified as the subspecies Hondo-zaru (Macaca fuscata fuscata).
This monkey is found naturally in Japan and nowhere else. Those on the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori live farther north than any other primate apart from humans.
Its face and rump are red, and its fur is very thick. It does not hibernate, so the thick fur helps keep it warm through harsh winters.
Females stay in the troop they were born into, while males leave it as they grow up.
How the Japanese macaque lives
They are active during the day. Their diet changes with the seasons, and they sometimes eat tree bark in winter. They often groom one another in their troops.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web上野動物園Basic data
- Size
- Head and body length: males 50–60 cm, females 48–55 cm
- Weight
- males 10–18 kg, females 8–16 kg
- Diet
- Fruit, seeds, leaves, and other plant material
- Range
- Japan: Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu
Where the Japanese macaque has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ニホンザル
- 简体中文
- 日本猕猴
- 繁體中文
- 日本獼猴
- 한국어
- 일본원숭이
- Español
- Macaco japonés
- Français
- Macaque japonais
- Deutsch
- Japanmakak
- Português (Brasil)
- Macaco-japonês
- Italiano
- Macaco giapponese
- العربية
- مكاك ياباني
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Monyet Jepang
- Tiếng Việt
- Khỉ Nhật Bản
- Русский
- Японский макак
- Türkçe
- Japon şebeği
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ニホンザル（ホンドザル）Checked: 2026-11-03
- 多摩動物公園 — ニホンザルChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Macaca fuscataChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Japanese macaque, look for this
- Look for its short tail.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Japanese macaque
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Cercopithecidae
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