Shisa: the guardians of Okinawa

Many of the restaurants and buildings are guarded by large statues called Shisa, a cross between a lion and a dog. They are a traditional Ryukyan cultural holdover that are displayed prominently, even in front of gas stations. They come in all styles and are made of ceramic, wood and concrete depending on size and location.

These guardian lions are seen in pairs, the left with a closed mouth and the right with an open mouth. The open mouth male shisa wards off evil spirits and the closed mouth female shisa keeps good spirits in.

Many can be quite playful and we even found a park in the countryside that had huge Shisa made of concrete. Shisa through a psychedelic lense.