Japanese macaques live on the three main islands of Honshû, Kyûshû and Shikoku. The monkeys on the island of Yakushima, also known as Yakumakak, form a distinct subspecies of the Japanese macaque. In the mountains north of Nikkô, these rapidly reproducing primates have, due to food shortages in the forests, become something of a nuisance for the town and the national park. Incidentally, the three famous ‘wise monkeys’ at the Tôshô-gû mausoleum in Nikkô, which symbolise the philosophy of ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’, are also Japanese macaques. The real-life animals communicate through facial expressions and corresponding vocalisations.
other animals
