The first thing I noticed when I got here were these half dog half lion statues that are EVERYWHERE. Seriously, you do not walk in a buliding without passing these dogs on your way in. They come in all shapes and sizes and we just purchased our first pair.
They are a tranitional Okinawa decoration that looks like a cross between a dog and a lion. People put shisa's on their rooftops or by the front door. Some are making silly faces and some are just scary. The story is that they are for protection from evil. The one on the left has a closed mouth to keep good spirits in and the one on the right has an open mouth to ward off evil spirits. The people of Okinawa take their good luck charms very seriously and are BIG believers in ghost and spirits. Considering the history of this island, there are said to be lots of lost souls wandering around. Kinda creepy. Maybe our new Shisa's will do their job and keep them away :)
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