Today we kick of A-Yokai-A-Day for the month of October (2012 edition)! I wanted to start with a few well-known yokai, some of which are featured in my book. So today’s yokai is an excerpt from The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, featuring a very common creature found all over Japan: the komainu! If you have ever visit a Shinto shrine or Japan, or even just seen a photo of one, most likely you are familiar with the lion-dog guardian statues, but what exactly are they?… | Today we kick of A-Yokai-A-Day for the month of October (2012 edition)! I wanted to start with a few well-known yokai, some of which are featured in my book. So today’s yokai is an excerpt from The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, featuring a very common creature found all over Japan: the komainu! If you have ever visit a Shinto shrine or Japan, or even just seen a photo of one, most likely you are familiar with the lion-dog guardian statues, but what exactly are they?…

Komainu (also known as Shishi)

Komainu　狛犬

Translation: Goryeo (an ancient Korean dynasty) dog
Alternate Names: shishi (stone lion); refers only to the left-hand komainu
Habitat: shrines, temples, and holy areas
Diet: carnivorous

Appearance: Komainu are noble holy animals which are usually employed as guardians of holy areas. They can range in size from a small dog to the size of a lion, and due to their resemblance to both creatures, are often called lion dogs in English. They have thick, curly manes and tails, powerful, muscular bodies, and sharp teeth and claws. Some komainu have large horns like a unicorn on their heads, however many are hornless.

Behavior: Komainu are fierce and noble beasts. They act like watchdogs, guarding gates and doorways and preventing the wicked from entering. They live together in male-female pairs, and are always found together. In their pairs, the female usually guards those living inside of the place they guard, while the male guards the structure or place itself.

Interactions: Komainu are a ubiquitous symbol at holy places in Japan. Stone komainu statues are almost always found at the entrance to Shinto shrines, often with more inside the shrine guarding the important buildings. The pairs are usually carved in two poses: with mouth open, in a roaring position, and with mouth closed. Symbolically, these creatures represent yin and yang, or death and life. The open-mouthed komainu represents “a,” while the closed-mouthed komainu represents “un.” These sounds are the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit “Om,” a mystical syllable which symbolizes the beginning, middle, and end of all things. A western analogy would be alpha and omega.

Origin: Komainu were brought to Japan via Korea, which in turn received them from China, which in turn received them from India. China is where they first began to symbolize the dharmic philosophics of Indian religions. In China, these dogs are called shishi, which means “stone lion.” This name is often used in Japan, too, though it only refers to the left one (the one with its mouth open). The right one and the two of them collectively are always referred to as komainu.

Interested in learning more about komainu and other yokai? Check out my book, The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, on Amazon.com and learn the story behind komainu and over one hundred other bizarre monsters! |

Komainu (also known as Shishi)

Komainu　狛犬

別名: しし; 左の狛犬のみ
生息地: 神社，寺，神聖な場所
食べ物: 雑食

外見: 狛犬は神聖な場所の守護をする崇高な聖獣であり、小さな犬くらいの大きさのものからライオンくらいの大きさのものまであり、そのライオンとよく似た容貌から、英語では lion dogsと呼ばれる事もある。巻き毛のたてがみと尾を生やし、力強い体格に鋭い爪と牙をもっており、中にはユニコーンのような角を持つものもある。

習性: 狛犬は獰猛で気高い獣である。番犬のように門や入口で中に邪気が入ってこないよう守っている。彼らは雄と雌のつがいでいる事が多く、雌は中にいる人間を、雄はその建物自体を守っているといわれる。

人への影響: 狛犬は神聖な場所の象徴で、神道の神社ではほとんど門の所に狛犬の像が置かれておりしばしば境内の中にもみられる。２つのつがいではそれぞれが別の姿勢をとっている。片方が吠えているように口を開き、もう片方が閉じているというものである。この二つの形態は陰・陽または死・生を表しているといわれ、また口を開けている方は「あ」閉じている方は「うん」を象徴しており、全てを包含しているという意味も含んでいるという。

起源: 狛犬はもともとはインドに起源があり、それが中国にわたって朝鮮を経由して日本に伝わったものであり、中国で初めてインドの仏教が象徴化されたものであるという。中国では狛犬は獅子と呼ばれており、日本でも左側の狛犬（口を開けている方）はこの名で呼ばれる事も多いが、右側の狛犬や二匹併せて呼ぶ場合は狛犬と呼ばれている。

他の妖怪にも興味をもっていただけたなら、是非アマゾンから「The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons（百鬼夜行）」をどうぞ！