What is Shisa, the Guardian God of Okinawa? Let's experience shisa making in Onna Village where the blue cave is attractive!

What is Shisa?

When people think of Okinawa, the first thing they probably recall is the Shisa.It has the role of protecting people from disasters and holding on to good fortune.

Do you know the animal that was the model for Shisa?The supple body on the roof looks like a cat, and the dignified figure standing on the gate looks like a dog, but there is a theory that the lion, the king of the hundred beasts, is actually the model for Shi-sa.

So how could a lion be the model for a seersucker, even though there are no lions in Japan?

The reason for this is hidden in the roots of the seersucker, which date back to the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations around 3000 BC.

The lion, a sacred beast, was considered a symbol of power, strength, and protection of temples and tombs because of its majestic strength and appearance.

Over time, the lion concept traveled along the Silk Road to India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and China, famous for its Tang Lion.

Later, the shisa was introduced to Okinawa.It all started in 1689, when people who were troubled by frequent fires at the time sought help from a feng shui master, who advised them to create a lion statue and install it facing Mt.

The story goes that when the lion statues were installed as advised, the fires suddenly stopped and the people of Okinawa were spared from the dread of fire.

The statue made at that time was the beginning of Shisa, and it still stands facing Mt.

This also led to the widespread popularity of Okinawan shisa as "a symbol to ward off evil spirits that bring misfortune to homes, people, and villages.

In addition to Shiisa, there are many other lion motifs in Japan, such as komainu (guardian dogs) and shishimai (lion dances).

In this article, we will tell you plenty about the different types of shisa, the charm of shisa making, and the stores where you can actually experience it.

We hope you will find this information useful when you are considering a trip to Okinawa!

 

Three types of shisa

There are three main types of shisa, depending on where they are installed and what they are protecting.

Let us look at the characteristics of each of the three types of shisa.

 

artistic lion on temple grounds

The Miya Shishi is a shisa related to the Shuri Royal Government, which flourished during Okinawa's Ryukyu period.They are installed in pairs, male and female, in palaces, castles, etc.

The lion is a symbol of authority rather than protection from evil, as is the image of the lion inherited from the Olympian period, which is located in the early days of the Okinawan lion culture.

It can be said that the Palace Lion is more of a lion statue or a guardian dog than a shisa.

 

village lion

They are installed as guardians at the entrance of the village and on high ground.

A village lion is a stone lion placed at the entrance of a village to prevent evil spirits from entering or fire hazards.

They are often installed in one piece only, rather than standing in male-female pairs.Since it was not until the Meiji era (1868-1912) that shisa were put on rooftops, village lions represented the entire village before house lions became popular.

The famous stone lion of Tomimori in Tofuhira Town is said to be the largest and oldest village lion.

Village lions are mostly built at the entrance to the village or toward the heisan (fire mountain) and serve the same function as Okinawa's oldest Tomimori shisa.

Thus, the culture of village lions created the foundation for their spread to the private sector.

 

domestic lion

In the Meiji era (1868-1912), along with the spread of red roof tiles to the private sector, shisa also began to be placed on the roofs of private homes.

House lions can be broadly divided into three types depending on where they are installed: house lions installed inside the house, roof lions installed on the roof, and gate lions installed at the gate of the house in pairs of a male and female.

 

How to enjoy making Shisa

Since the commercially available Shisa are handmade, each one is unique.

Therefore, even if the position of the eyes, the shape of the eyebrows, the color of the paint, and each of them differ slightly, the shisa will be finished with a lot of originality.You can purchase a creation kit and make your own at home, or you can experience shisa making on a tour or at a store.

There are a variety of hands-on Shisa-making tours, including a full-scale tour in which you knead clay to form a Shisa and then bake it, or a tour in which you can color an already-made Shisa.

 

Attraction of Shisa Making

Next, we will introduce the charm of shisa making.

 

You can make your own original Shisa.

If the shisa is kneaded from clay, you can make your own original one.With some creative coloring and attention to detail, you can create your own unique shisa.

Create your own Shisa to ward off evil and keep happiness at bay.

 

Sense of accomplishment upon completion

The sense of accomplishment you feel when you create a shisa shaped just the way you like it is irreplaceable.

Even if it is a little bit snooty, it is the result of my own trial and error and is very tasteful, making it a memorable part of the trip.

If you like making things, just imagine how exciting it is!

 

Enjoyable for both children and adults.

Basically, the clay is kneaded and made, and the baking process is done by the store staff, so even children can easily participate.

The family fun of making shisa will surely be a memory you will cherish for a lifetime!

 

Five popular places to experience

Here we introduce five popular stores where you can experience shisa making.

 

Handmade Workshop

This store offers plaster shisa making using Ryukyu plaster, shisa coloring experience, and sales.

A plaster shisa is literally a shisa made of plaster, most of which are open-mouthed males, but here they make pairs of males and females.

Since the foundation is already in place, all that remains is to add eyes, ears, and fangs.It is easy because the base is already made, but you can arrange the eyes and ears, which are the decisive factors for the expression, so you can make your own handmade Shi-sa.

There is also a course where you can experience coloring a handmade shisa or just coloring it, so both those who want to do it in earnest and those who want to do it casually can be satisfied.

 

Onna Village Plaster Shisa Yachimun Shisa coloring experience GALLERY YUSHIBIN

At this store, you can try your hand at coloring a seersucker.

You can have a great time coloring the handmade shisa made by artisans to your liking.

Each shisa is individually handmade by craftsmen, and although the main body of the shisa is the same, the details are different, so you can dye the shisa in the color of your choice.

 

Handmade workshop Hidetobo

At this store, as at Handmade Studio Tatakabo, you can make plaster shisa using Ryukyu plaster and experience coloring the shisa.

It is located on the same site as Tatabo Handmade Studio, so you can go back and forth between the two to find your favorite shisa.

 

Ryukyu Village

At this store, you can enjoy making unusual Shisa objet d'art.

Since both a tabletop and wall-mounted object can be made, the wall-mounted Shisa is recommended for those who do not have the space to place it.

Visitors can also experience coloring pre-made shisa.

In the coloring process, the expression can be drastically changed even by writing eyes, so even if the mold is the same, you can create an original Shisa.

 

Okinawa Experience Nirai Kanai

At this store, you can make an authentic shisa from scratch.

Starting with the kneading of the plaster, you can make a shisa with any appearance as well as a face and expression.

You can make a wide variety of Shiisa, including plate-like masked Shiisa and three-dimensional regular Shiisa, so you can make your own Shiisa with your own unique flavor.

 

Enjoy a comfortable trip with a rental car!

We'll also make reservations in advance for car rentals, which fill up quickly!

↓Click here for more information.

 

summary

In this article, I have introduced an overview of shisa and shisa making.

Shisa, like komainu, is a legendary creature based on the lion motif.In addition to being the protector of homes and villages, the female Shisa, with her mouth closed, holds on to happiness and won't let go, which is a little bit heartwarming.

There are a wide variety of stores that offer handmade Shisa experiences, ranging from the easy to the authentic.How about making a traditional shisa as a memory of your trip to Okinawa?

Thank you for reading to the end.