A diplomat friend and I enjoy lunch at the Akasaka Capital Tokyu Hotel, in the governmental hub of Tokyo. As we part, he tips me off that there's a little-known footpath from the hotel, leading uphill to the Hie Shrine, one of Tokyo's most important Shinto sites. I decide to climb the discreet bamboo-shaded path for a quick visit.

By the time I reach Hie's Shinmon gate, which sports elegantly layered roofs that lift at the tips like the wings of a heron, I find I've also climbed above the sounds of the city. I'm admiring the peaceful grandeur when a bit of monkey business catches my eye.

Where most shrines have guardian figures in the form of foxes or sacred komainu (lion dogs), Hie sports stone monkeys on either side of the haiden, and its zuijin (warrior figures inside the main gate) are also larger-than-life simians. I head to the shrine offices to investigate.