It is famous for its large population of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), more commonly referred to as snow monkeys, that go to the valley during the winter, foraging elsewhere in the national park during the warmer months. The monkeys descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the warm waters of the onsen (hotsprings), and return to the security of the forests in the evenings.

This temple is a branch temple of Shinshu-Zenkoji in Nagano, and is sacred to Amida(Zenkoji) Nyorai. There are about 400 temples that have Zenkoji Nyorai inside, but only about 100 temples are formally allowed to have the name 'Zenkoji'. Among these Zenkoji temples, as few as 20 temples were officially recognized as branch temples by Shinshu-Zenkoji. In Gifu, Takayama Zenkoji is the only temple of the kind. Just like Shinshu-Zenkoji, it has Kaidan-meguri(Tour in the pitch dark tunnel) in the basement of the main hall. This temple offers places to stay for anyone visiting from far away. Now that Takayama became a popular spot for tourists overseas, 95% of visitors are from foreign countries. Besides private rooms, there is a shared kitchen and guests can use it for free.