On my recent visit in Okinawa I came across Shisa.
Shisa are guardians of houses in Okinawa and have become widely known as a symbol of Okinawa.
Shisa come in many shapes, colors and designs, they express the characteristics of each piece of land.
I enjoyed finding many different Shisa statues as I traveled around Okinawa. These particular colorful statues are to be found in Nago Pineapple Park.
These statues are very colorful and playful so children can enjoy them when visiting here.
While enjoying the beauty of the park and following the aerial footpath, I was finding Shisa statues some hidden and some well visible almost everywhere.
Unlike the Nago Pineapple Park, where every Shisa statue stands alone, there usually are two statues guarding a house. One statue has slightly opened mouth saying "Shi" and the other statue has widely opened mouth saying "Sa". They always stand or sit at the entrance of a house, restaurant, or another building.
Shisa statue saying "Shi".
Shisa statue saying "Sa".
If you find these photos useful, please feel free to use them. They all are my original photos.