text: guardian lions – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains
  Komainu: Sacred Lion-Dogs of Japan
  Admin Blog June 16, 2016 November 29, 2017 Buddhism, fu dogs, guardian lions, Japan, komainu, Shinto
  Many Japanese shrines and temples feature guardian komainu. These lion-dog statues, commonly carved from stone, watch over the entrance to the inner shrines at many Shinto holy sites. At some, the statues are hidden from view, but others, like Fushimi Inari Taisha, have komainu on display as well. In addition to guarding the inner sanctum, many shrines and Buddhist temples have komainu on display at the entry gates. Traditionally, komainu are placed at the entrance to a holy site to ward off evil spirits. Some of the statues have open mouths, while other komainu's mouths are closed. The open-mouthed statues, known as a-gyō, are saying "a," the first letter of the Sanskrit