Dressing monkeys up in samurai uniforms was a tradition in ancient Japan. Hiroshi Watanabe photographs the practice today. My Modern Met explains:
The exceptionally trained macaque monkeys used to don outfits and perform religious ritual dances to keep the country's warrior horses safe. Over the thousand-year history of the ancient art, the performance has evolved into a traveling act for entertainment purposes, escaping extinction. The practice, known as Sarumawashi, is literally translated as "monkey dancing" and is one of the most popular traditional Asian performing arts these days, along with Kabuki and Noh.
(Photo courtesy of the artist)
The Dish 