Shisa: The Ancient Guardians of Okinawa
If you ever happen to visit Okinawa you will undoubtably encounter the shisa. Shisa: The Ancient Guardians of Okinawa have a rich origin story. Read below to learn more about the myth behind Okinawan Shisa and their role in society.
The mythological origin of Shisa
Long long ago, before the shores of Okinawa became part of Japan, a RyuKyuan king ruled over an island paradise nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. The coffers of the kingdom were filled through trade with their neighbors China, Japan, and Korea. The king’s people grew fat and happy and they loved him dearly. All the world seemed to be peacefully strolling into the future.
Unbeknownst to the island paradise something devious stirred in the black depths of the sea. One day the earth began to shake and a dim light peaked through the newly exposed crust below the ocean. A great golden dragon’s slumber had been interrupted. Worse yet–it was hungry.
As previously mentioned, this was a time of unusually profitable trading. The profits were so high that a ranking Chinese Emissary was invited to dine at the king’s palace, Shuri Castle, in Naha. After a night of dining, dancing, and drinking the sweet nectar of Awamori, the emissary gave the king a treasured gift; a Komainu. At first the king looked at it in horror and disgust. “What is this beast you give me?!” The old emissary chuckled and took no offense but gently replied, “Forgive me…its appearance can be frightening, but it is nothing to be feared. This totem is part lion and part dog.And, like a dog, it will be loyal and fierce. It will protect you and your people.”
The king took another look. After a few moments of introspection the furry warm face of his childhood dog came to mind. His heart warmed and he thanked the emissary for the kind gift. “We will have to find a word for it in our own tongue….We’ll call it Shisa. They will guard us as they have guarded you.”
After the emissary had left the king sent out a decree to search for the best craftsmen in Okinawa. His wish was to immediately have the figurine made into a necklace he could carry with him at all times. Months later, when it had finally been crafted to the king’s specifications, he made a solemn vow to wear it at all times.
One day not long after, waves began to rise and crash upon the beach of the nearby town of Madanbashi. Each night local fisherman began to regularly disappear into the vast blue range. At last one evening, just before sunset, a terrifying golden dragon emerged from the black depths. It dragged itself onto the beach devouring everything in sight. It trampled the well laid streets and clawed at the red brick roofs of terrified peasants. After it had eaten its fill it disappeared back into the ocean.
The Noro (royal high priestess) had seen the dragon emerge and wreak havoc. She went straight to her power spot and began to pray herself into a trance. In the midst of the trance a vision of the king standing on the beach, one arm outstretched in front of him holding his new treasure, the shisa, appeared to her. Immediately after her vision subsided she ran to the palace to tell the king what she had seen.
At first the king couldn’t believe a golden dragon had set foot upon his lands. His face burned red and he shouted, “How could you ask me to believe such a tale! Do you take me for a fool?” Calmly but confidently the Noro pleaded with the king.
“Today you must come. You must see for yourself! Don’t forget to bring the shisa around your neck…” Reluctantly the king left the castle ground with his personal guard in tow. When he came to Madanbashi he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Large, deep impressions in the shape of a yamori (gecko) feet were strewn about the village. Red roof tiles littered what were left of roads. The king fell to his knees and began to weep. The sun would set soon but the king would not return to the palace until the noro’s prophecy had been fulfilled. The Noro told him once more about her vision. The king immediately took off into the direction of the village.
After a hard trek the king finally made it to the beach. The sun had nearly mounted the hills to the east as the king shouted, “Damn you dragon! Show yourself! You will face my wrath!!”
The ocean began to stir and bubble. The waves swelled and reached increasingly higher up the beach. The king wrapped his fingers around the shisa waiting for the dragon to emerge.
“BEEEEYAAWWW!” The dragons golden head encircled with seaweed breached the surface. It slithered to the shore and stood defiantly in front of the king, “What do you want puny human? Your crown cannot save you from being devoured like a mere peasant.” The dragon lifted its head back, smiled and showed rows of katana like fangs intending to devour the king.
The king, knowing this could be his last chance, ripped the shisa from around his neck and thrust it toward the giant gold dragon in front of him. The earth began to tremble and the dragon, feeling fear for the first time, fled back into the ocean. The terrified king dropped the shisa onto the beach and ran back toward the village.
The shisa’s mouth opened and a deafening roar filled the air. Just as the sun crested upon the peaks of the eastern hills a dark shadow descended across Okinawa. A rock from the heavens fell straight onto the golden dragon’s back trapping it before it could make its final escape into the ocean’s depths. The dragon pleaded for help (as well as tree fiddy) but the people would not hear its pleas. The villagers watched and scorned it as it eventually died of starvation. The king and the power of the shisa became forevermore, legends.
Today, hundreds of years after the dragons death, its remains are still visible today at the Gana-mui woods near Naha’s Ohashi Bridge in Okinawa.
A Bit More on Shisa
The story above is one of the local legends for an iconic piece of Okinawan culture, the shisa. Shisa can be compared to gargoyles in the western world. They can be beast-like in appearance but they serve as a form of protection from bad/evil spirits.
Shisa come in two forms, one male and one female. Depending upon who you ask the different genders and their appearances signify different things. The most commonly held opinion is that the male is placed on the left with its mouth open to scare off evil spirits. The female, is placed on the right, with its mouth closed to keep good spirits and good fortune in.
If you ever visit Okinawa you will indubitably see these figures all over the place. They are placed in front of residences, businesses, on the street, on rooftops, on t-shirts and have become a very popular souvenir to bring back home.
Like many things found in Okinawa it seems to be a modified version of something Chinese. In this case Shisa The Ancient Guardians of Okinawa are believed to have developed from the Chinese Komainu (lion-dogs?). Komainu were brought to Okinawa sometime during the 14th century. Eventually shisa found their way to mainland Japan and were known as “guardian-dogs” during the Edo period (1603-1867).
Today shisa come in all shapes and sizes!
From the terrifying to absolutely adorable. They guard houses, bridges, shops and government buildings. They are on stickers, t-shirts and many other souvenirs which are very popular with tourists from across the globe.
This story was originally posted on a blog about living in Okinawa.
Hungry for more on Japan?
Check out some of our other articles about Japan and Okinawa!
Takeru Yamato: Mythological Hero of Japan
And a whole lot more of articles!
