Keep the evil spirits at bay

Story and photos by William Stroud

Qften, when you reach an intersection or a dead-end street on Okinawa, you may encounter a stone etched with three kanji characters. It says “ishiganto” and is a shaman to stop ghosts or spirits in their tracks.

Brought here from China, the ishiganto is the last vestige of a Chinese legend, featuring a heroic man. Ishiganto defied evil.

Part of Chinese folklore is that spirits can only move in straight lines. The solid ishiganto keeps the ghosts from wandering inside. Although this is not provable why take the chance?

Afterwards, his name became a symbol in stone and a barrier against the unseen. The lasting custom continues today when Okinawans construct new buildings with a street leading into it. One is located in front of the Mitsukoshi department store on Kokusai Street. Even the big boys need a little ghost insurance.