When you visit Okinawa, you’ll see Shisa everywhere—on rooftops, gateposts, and at the entrances of shops. More than just a figurine, the Shisa has been traditionally cherished as a guardian deity that wards off evil and invites good fortune.
In this article, we’ll introduce the meaning, history, and types of the Shisa, which is truly a symbol of Okinawan culture.
A Protective Guardian of Homes and Communities
A Shisa is a statue in the form of a lion. In Okinawa, it has been placed in various locations since ancient times as a guardian deity and charm to protect homes, people, and communities from disaster.
Let’s take a closer look at how Shisa are placed. They can be found as single statues or, more commonly, in pairs.
When placed as a pair, they represent a male and female, each with a different role. The standard placement is to have the open-mouthed Shisa on the right and the closed-mouthed Shisa on the left, when viewed from the front. It is also said that they can protect a wider area if their faces are looking forward, rather than facing each other.
The open-mouthed Shisa on the right is generally the male. Its role is to ward off evil spirits. In contrast, the closed-mouthed Shisa on the left is generally the female, and its role is to keep the good fortune that has been invited in, thereby protecting the family.
It is also said that there are no clear criteria for distinguishing between male and female.
You don’t always have to place Shisa in pairs. In fact, many of the Shisa found on rooftops today are installed individually.
This is because placing a single Shisa on a roof was the original mainstream style. It is said that they came to be placed in pairs later on, influenced by the Buddhist A-un statues, which symbolize the beginning and end of all things.
The term A-un originally comes from the beginning sound (“A”) and the ending sound (“Un”) in Sanskrit. From this, “A” represents the beginning of all things, while “Un” represents the end.
The statues themselves are a representation of this idea: the open-mouthed A-gyo symbolizes the beginning of all things and the pursuit of enlightenment, while the closed-mouthed Un-gyo symbolizes the end of all things and the attainment of enlightenment. Together, they are placed as a guardian deity to prevent the entry of enemies of Buddhism.
The Various Types of Shisa Found in Okinawa
Shisa are largely classified into three types based on their placement and purpose.
Miya-jishi: Shisa Placed in Ryukyu Kingdom Castles and Temples
Miya-jishi are Shisa that were mainly placed in the castles of the Ryukyu Kingdom, as well as in temples and royal tombs. Rather than simply being a charm, they strongly symbolized the authority of the kingdom and high social status. They are often characterized by being made of stone with excellent sculpting techniques and are said to be from the early period when Shisa were introduced to Okinawa.
Sonraku-jishi: Shisa Placed in Villages and Towns
Sonraku-jishi are Shisa placed at the entrances of villages, towns, or on high ground, with the purpose of protecting the entire community.
They are often placed individually rather than in pairs and are commonly found in villages in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island. They are also believed to be a guardian deity that protects the village from disasters like fire. It is said that the direction they face also has meaning: those facing south to southwest prevent fires, while those facing east to northeast ward off storms. Many Sonraku-jishi are made of stone and are also called Ishi-jishi (Stone Lion).
Ie-jishi: Shisa Placed in Private Homes
Shisa placed for the purpose of protecting private homes are called Ie-jishi. They are further classified into Yane-jishi, Mon-jishi, and Yashiki-jishi depending on their location.
Yane-jishi: Shisa Placed on Red Tile Roofs
Yane-jishi are often placed on top of red tile roofs, are made of pottery (yachimun) or plaster, and are generally installed individually. They are said to have meanings such as warding off evil spirits, purifying negative energy, and preventing fires.
It is said that the tradition began after 1884 (Meiji 17), when tiled roofs—which were previously only allowed for public buildings—were permitted for common people. Tile artisans began handcrafting them with leftover tiles and plaster.
Mon-jishi: Shisa Placed in Pairs on Gateposts
They are often placed in pairs on top of gateposts and are typically made of pottery (yachimun) or plaster. Mon-jishi are meant to prevent evil from entering the home.
In Okinawa, due to frequent damage from tiles being blown off by annual typhoons, tiled roofs were gradually replaced with reinforced concrete buildings. As a result, the placement of Shisa also changed from rooftops to gateposts.
Since two gateposts required a pair of Shisa to be placed on them, it is thought that they began to be placed in pairs, referencing the A-un statues (Nio statues) and Komainu (guardian dogs) found in pairs at the entrances of temples and shrines.
Yashiki-jishi: Shisa Placed Within a Residence
Yashiki-jishi are placed in various locations on a property, such as on stone walls or in front of the entrance. While they are often made of stone, pottery (yachimun) versions also exist.
They are meant to prevent the entry of evil spirits. When placed at the entrance, in particular, they serve as a guardian deity to ward off negative energy from outside.
A Journey Through History: From the Sphinx to the Shisa
The origin of the Shisa is said to be very ancient, tracing back to the Sphinx, which guarded kings and gods in ancient Egyptian civilization. The Sphinx was then introduced to China as a lion figure via the Silk Road. It is believed to have been brought from China to Okinawa around the 13th to 15th centuries, around the time the Ryukyu Kingdom was established.
The term “Shishi” refers to a lion. However, since lions did not exist in China at the time, the form of the “Shishi” is believed to have been shaped by people’s imaginations. This legendary creature, created by people expanding their imagination based on information they received without ever having seen the real thing, evolved over many years into the modern-day form of the Shisa.
When they were first introduced to Okinawa, the Shisa strongly symbolized the authority of the Ryukyu Kingdom and were primarily placed in important locations such as castles and temples. As time went on, their role as a charm to ward off evil and a guardian deity became more emphasized, and today they are widely recognized as a bringer of good fortune.
The Shisa began to appear frequently on the rooftops of ordinary Okinawan homes only after World War II, and its popularity in the Miyako and Yaeyama regions spread even later.
The Shisa as a Staple Okinawan Souvenir
Though the Shisa is deeply tied to the lives of the Okinawan people as a “guardian deity,” it is also widely known today as a classic Okinawan souvenir.
There are many places throughout Okinawa where you can experience “making your own Shisa” or “painting a Shisa.” We highly recommend trying it during your visit.
References
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- Itoman, S., Kuze, H., & Saito, Y. (2012). Okinawa Chiiki ni okeru Chiiki Shiryō no Kiroku kara no Kyōzai Kaihatsu [3]: Chizu to Renkei shita Okinawa no Bunka ‘Shisa’ no Kyōzaika [Development of teaching materials from local records in the ‘Okinawa region’ [3]: Teaching materials on Okinawan culture and ‘Shisa’ linked with maps]. Bulletin of the Society of Elementary School Education, 1, pp. 7-12.
- Kawano, A. (2021). Okinawa Sonraku Shugo Shisa no Ruikei Bunrui to Chiiki Bunpu: Shinakai Sekizō Shishi Komainu Bunkaken no Hikaku Kenkyū [Typological Classification and Regional Distribution of Okinawan Village Guardian Shisa: A Comparative Study of the Sino-Sea Stonework Lion and Komainu Cultural Sphere]. Meiji University Kyōyō Ronshū, 552, pp. 61-88.
- Yamasato, J. (2019). Okinawa no Majinai [Okinawan Amulets]. Border Shinsho.
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