Komainu (狛犬), often calledlion-dogs in English, are statue pairs oflion-like creatures, which traditionally guard the entrance or gate of the shrine, or placed in front of or within thehonden (inner sanctum) of JapaneseShinto shrines.

A pair ofkomainu (construable as "Korean dog"^[1]) orshishi ("lion")/karajishi ("Chinese lion") are the typical stone-made creatures associated withgatekeeping on Shinto shrine grounds.^[2][3]

Meant to ward off evil spirits, modernkomainu statues are usually near identical except for the shapes of their mouths: one has it open, the other closed (however, exceptions exist, where bothkomainu have their mouth either open or closed^[4]). The two forms are calleda-gyō (阿形;lit. '"a" shape') for the open mouthed statue, symbolically representing the beginning of all things, andun-gyō (吽形;lit. '"un" shape') for the closed mouth statue, symbolically representing the end of all things. Collectively they are known asa-un^[5] and together, they symbolically represent the beginning and the end of all things.^[6] The iconography^[1] and symbolism were imported, and not native to Shintoism.^[3] Thea-un symbolism is the same symbolism as that which is associated with theNiō, the two Buddhist gatekeeper deities.^[7][8][a]

In Asia, the lion was popularly believed to have the power to repel evil, and for this reason it was habitually used to guard gates and doors. TheKomainu strongly resembleChinese guardian lions and in fact originate fromTang dynasty China.^[10] The Chinese guardian lions are believed to have been influenced byAsiatic lion pelts and lion depictions introduced through trade from either theMiddle East orIndia, countries where the lion existed and was a symbol of strength.^[11] During its transportation along theSilk Road, however, the symbol changed^{[citation needed]}, acquiring a distinctive look. The first lion statue in India appears around the 3rd century BC on top of a column erected by KingAshoka.^[11] The tradition later arrived in China where it developed into the guardian lion that was later exported to Korea, Japan, and Okinawa. During theNara period (710–794), as in the rest of Asia, the pair always consisted of two lions.^[12] Used only indoors until the 14th century, they were made mainly of wood. During theHeian period (794–1185), for example, wooden or metal pairs were employed as weights and door-stops, while at the Imperial Palace they were used to support screens orfolding screens.

The custom of placing wooden, and later stone representations of the kara-inu and lions were established no later than the mid-Heian period (tenth century), though precise dating remains uncertain.^[13]

Perhaps as early as the earlier part of the Heian period (ninth century), the tradition changed and the two statues started to be different and be called differently. One had its mouth open and was calledshishi (獅子;lit. 'lion') because, as before, it resembled that animal. The other had its mouth closed, looked rather like a dog, was calledkomainu, or "Goguryeo dog", and sometimes had a single horn on its head. Gradually the animals returned to be identical, but for their mouths, and ended up being called bothkomainu.^[14]

Eventually they were also becameapotropaic objects protectingBuddhist temples,^[7][13] royal palaces,^[13] nobility residences or even private homes.^[15] A pair of these dogs are painted on the front walls of thehonden (inner sanctuary) at theKamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine, but such painted examples are rare, possibly unique.^[16]

According to one reckoning, thekomainu have been used outdoors only since the 14th century.^[12] In Japan, too, it ended up being installed at the entrance of shrines and temples next to the lion-dog.^[17] As a protection against exposure to Japan's rainy weather, thekomainu started being carved in stone.

Starting in theEdo period thekomainu began to be placed at thesandō (tr. "avenues of approach"^[2] to the shrine) and are now categorized assandō komainu (参道狛犬;lit. 'entrance-road Komainu'). The much older type are calledjinnai komainu (陣内狛犬;lit. 'komainu within [the shrine]'s premises').[18] They can sometimes be found also atBuddhist temples, nobility residences or even private homes.

Starting from theEdo period (1603–1868) other animals have been used instead of lions or dogs, among otherswild boars, tigers,dragons andfoxes.

A variant of thekomainu theme is thefox, acting as guardian of shrines dedicated to theInari deity.^[7] There are about 30 thousandInari shrines in Japan, and the entrance of each is guarded by a pair of fox statues.^[19] Often one, and sometimes both, has asūtra roll, a key or a jewel in its mouth (sūtras are Buddhist texts, a fact which attests to the Buddhist origins of the Inari cult^[19][20]). The statues do not symbolize the animals' proverbial malice, but the magic powers they are believed to possess. Sometimes the guardians are painted, and in that case they are always white.^[19] White foxes are messengers of thekami, who is sometimes himself believed to be, and portrayed as, a fox.^[19] Although visible genitals are rare, the left fox is believed to be male, the right one female.^[21]

Often the foxes wear red votive bibs similar to those worn by statues of other figures: for example, the Buddhist bodhisattva figureJizō. In this case, however, the bibs seem to be purely a rite, whose origins are unclear.

Theshīsā (シーサー), the stone animals that inOkinawa guard the gates or the roofs of houses, are close relatives of theshishi and thekomainu, objects whose origin, function and symbolic meaning they share.^[22] Their name itself is centuries old regional variant ofshishi-san (獅子さん;lit. 'Mr. Lion').[5]

• Chinese guardian lions
• Chinthe
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• Nio
• Xiezhi

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