The legend of the Shisa

Story and Photos by Keith T. Graff

Shisa are spotted everywhere throughout Okinawa. Their appearance ranges from fearsome to comical. The colors can range from the standard red clay to just shy of outrageous. They are as traditional to Okinawa as baseball, hotdogs and apple pie are to America. On traditional homes they are seen alone, stoically perched on the roof top. In modern homes, they often appear in pairs standing post at the gates to act as guardians. They adorn businesses, schools government buildings and are sought after as souvenirs.

When in pairs, tradition dictates that the right one has its mouth closed and the one on the left has its mouth slightly opened. Many supposed reasons exist for this. Some legends say the closed mouth Shisa represents the female who (as in every husband’s fantasy) should keep her mouth closed at home. Another says that is the exact opposite and it represents the male who should keep the family fortune intact by keeping quiet. It runs along the lines of the old saying, “loose lips sinking ships.”

The Shisa were introduced to Okinawa as a gift from the Chinese Emperor to the Ryukyu King. The gift was a small necklace with two Shisa figurines attached. Legend has it that one day while the King was visiting the water front in Naha, a great dragon appeared and threatened the local villagers. The Noro high priestess instructed the King to face the dragon and hold his figurine high. As he did so, a loud roar was heard that frightened everyone including the dragon. The roar was so loud that it shook heaven and a great boulder fell from the sky. It fell onto the dragon’s tail and trapped him. Unable to run away, the dragon eventually died. The people made Shisa dogs to commemorate the event and protect them form further harm.

The city of Nago shares a similar tale to the Naha legend. The people there point to a rock formation in the bay that marks the spot where the dragon was slain. There is another legend that tells how the village of Tomori was constantly threatened by wildfires. A local feng shui master was sought out. He instructed the people to build a large stone Shisa and have it face toward Mount Yaese, which was believed to be the source of the fires. The village remains safe from the wildfires to this day.

For the past few centuries, people throughout Okinawa believed that evil spirits and bad luck can be fended off or balanced with friendly spirits and good fortune. This is one of the core beliefs in feng shui. Also imported is a belief system that seeks balance in nature and looks at good and evil as equally powerful opposing forces. Island locals have seized upon this idea and look to the Shisa as a way of fending off evil and bringing good fortune.