Coming Down a Hill to Tsuboya Yachimun Street

What is a Shisa?

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June 7th 2008
What is a Shisa? Shisa lions (also known as shiisa) can be seen on top of roofs or at the gates of Okinawan homes and businesses, and even on street corners. From small to large, old and new, shisa lion statues help ward off evil. Long ago on the Japanese island of Okinawa lived a young boy named Chiga-san. The small village that Chiga-san lived in was terrorized by an angry drago ... read more

Asia » Japan » Okinawa » Camp Kinser

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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more