Shinto is Japan’s oldest religion, with origins dating back to the tail end of the Stone Age. While many Japanese people do not consider themselves religious, a large percentage of the population still follows Shinto ideas today. 

You don’t have to venture far in the country to find one of the 80,000 shrines. They stand tall in quiet forests, over the water along the island’s coasts, and above rice fields. Shinto was not born from a specific founder or religious scriptures, but it lives within the people. It is not a defining characteristic; rather, it is a part of life.

Personal virtues are emphasized over strict rituals or rules. Benevolence, harmony, courage, and gratitude all support the key theme of Shinto—the concept of purity, or “harae.” The religion holds that humans are inherently good and should avoid or rid themselves of sins and uncleanliness. Followers strive to achieve “makoto no konkoro”—a heart of truth.

You will see a version of this purification at the entrance of shrines. Visitors stop at a water basin and use a wooden ladle to pour water over each of their hands. It seems fitting that some of Japan’s animal residents also engage in their own form of cleansing in the mountains. 

Over the course of centuries, monkeys have appeared in Japanese folklore with a variety of meanings. They have been used as metaphors for tricksters and the negative traits of humans, but they have also served as sacred messengers to the gods.  On this rainy morning in northern Japan, I observed macaques that would fit into both categories. There were the raucous individuals, screeching, pulling hair, and chasing others beside the hot springs, firmly earning their place in the first category. But there were a few quieter, almost meditative monkeys who held eye contact with me or rested with their eyes closed as they bathed in the warm waters.

I like to think they were the messengers.