A stone statue made in 1689 to protect against fire, said to be the oldest surviving village shisa. It still bears bullet marks from the Battle of Okinawa and is a designated cultural property.
Legend Site
Great Stone Lion of Tomori
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Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | Shisa |
|---|---|
| Location | Okinawa Yaese |
| Type of place | Historic site or landmark |
| Map position | Approximate position (Municipality), not the exact place |
A guardian lion statue placed on roofs and gates and at village entrances in Okinawa to ward off evil. Its name comes from the Okinawan pronunciation of "shishi" (lion). Shisa are often set out in pairs, a male with an open mouth and a female with a closed mouth, and are believed to drive away misfortune.