ENTRY DESCRIPTION
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 its 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 scripture—it lives within the people.

It is not a defining characteristic—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 cleanse themselves of moral and spiritual impurities. Followers strive to achieve "makoto no kokoro"—a heart of truth.

You will see a version of this ritual at the entrance of shrines. Visitors gather at a water basin and use a wooden ladle to pour water over each of their hands. It's only fitting that some of Japan’s animal residents appear to find their own quiet form of renewal in the mountains.

AUTHOR
Eric's interest in photography began when his parents gave him an old film camera to use for his course in high school. While the class initially served as an escape from his rigorous biology and chemistry courses, it would eventually become the catalyst for each of his interests and passions melding into one. The film process revealed the "magic" of how science and technology could immortalize a scene in front of him. With this, his creative side would soon be unlocked.

Eric earned a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Wake Forest University. He enjoyed his courses in physiology, molecular biology, and genetics, but it was ecology that grabbed his attention. The idea that life, across species and geographies, is intertwined resonated with him long after his classes concluded.

This concept has driven much of Eric's travel and work to date. He seeks to explore new cultures, new areas of the world, and unique wildlife with the hope that his images can deliver that same empowering idea to others that he felt in his studies — that we can all share some connection and hold interest in other people and living things, even when the link might not be apparent.

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