Photographer Hiroshi Watanabe traveled to Japan to capture the monkeys of the traditional theater art of Sarumawashi:

Like the photos of cock fighting many photographers have made, Watanabe’s Sarumawashi have rustled some feathers, especially here in the United States. He’s heard people criticize the work because they feel the monkeys shouldn’t be held captive and forced to perform.

But back in Japan he says most people see Sarumawashi, and the photos, differently. It’s a cultural legacy that’s gone on so long that it’s accepted. In places like Europe, he says viewers didn’t flinch.

“The Europeans thought it was cute and funny and had a totally different attitude,” he says.

(Photo by Hiroshi Watanabe. His Sarumawashiportraits will be featured at the Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles through October 26.)