I was headed to Japan for the World Baseball Classic, but on my very first morning in Tokyo, I made a detour to neighboring Chiba Prefecture to visit Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Japan. Instead, a small monkey darted between rocks, trailing older members of the troop. It took me a few minutes to realize that the baby was blending seamlessly into the group was Punch himself. For nearly an hour, I watched him stick close to older monkeys, mirroring their movements and cautiously navigating his place within the group. There was something unexpectedly joyful about beginning a Japan trip with a visit to a viral sensation.

Source: Punch February 27, 2026 20:40 UTC