Yamanouchi is a small town found in the Nagano Prefecture, part of the Japanese Alps. The area is mostly visited for two things: the Japanese macaques, informally known as “snow monkeys,” and the abundance of public baths formed from hot springs, known as onsen. 

Yudanaka Onsen Pudding Honpo is a quirky dessert store situated in a vacant traditional Japanese resident building, which combines both these local favorites.  

They have created two characters Snonkey, a local monkey who is said to love the onsen hot springs, and Yukko, a local chicken who provides the eggs to make the deserts. The shopfront tells the lighthearted story of the creation of these characters. 

The puddings for sale are made from local free-range eggs and milk from the local cows and the range of special flavors includes apple caramel, coffee jelly, and organic matcha. The products are available to buy 24/7 from an unmanned vending machine inside the shop.