Sep 17, 2016 - 1 min read

Komainu Lion-like Statues

Guarding the entrance of many Shinto jinja

By Elena Lisina

Community writer

Komainu in Kyoto

The pair komainu, Kyoto

The one with open mouth means "Beginning." Kamakura Komainu.

Another with closed mouth means "End." Kamakura.

The second of Asakusa komainu

This old komainu is used like decoration in Kairakuen (Japanese garden), Tokyo

Komainu guarding Itsukushima jinja of Miyajima

Mijajima komainu #1

Mijajima komainu # 2

Komainu of Naritasan

One more komainu of Naritasan, Tokyo

Unusual old komainu in Nikko

Colored komainu of Nikko

The pair komainu to previous one, Nikko

Cute komainu of Sumiyoshi Taisha, Osaka

Sumiyoshi's second one

Suwa Taisha's komainu, Nagano

Old komainu of one of Suwa jinja

Komainu of Takaosan jinja

Komainu don't sleep at night! Tokyo

Komainu of Ueno, Tokyo

Very curly komainu of Asakusa, Tokyo

When I saw Komainu for the first time, I smiled as I found them funny. I called them “lions,” but my friend told me they were dogs. The word "Inu" means "dog" in Japanese language. I was interested in them and learned a bit of their history. Sando Komainu (visiting road) guarding the entrance or the inner shrine firstly appeared in the Edo era. Meant to ward off evil spirits, Komainu statues are almost identical, but one has an open mouth and the other closed. This represents the beginning and the end of all things. Some Komainu can be also found inside shrines. All of them are different and I really like them, maybe because I was born in the Year of the Dog – Inu desu!

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Elena Lisina

By Elena Lisina

Community writer

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