2025-03-09

Komainu

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Komainu at Simple Shrine in Yokohma Suburb

住宅街で小さな神社の狛犬


On my way back to Kanazawa-Bunko Station in Yokohama, I happened upon a small Shinto shrine in the middle of a suburban neighborhood after meeting with a client nearby.

The shrine, Susaki Shrine (洲崎神社), was not visually notable in any particular way. It was a quite simple shrine with the standard torii gate and a pair of komainu (狛犬). Komainu stand between the shrine’s worship hall and the torii gate to protect the grounds of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples from evil spirits.

Typically, the komainu on the right has its mouth open, as if pronouncing “a,” the first syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet. The statue on the left, as shown in my photo, is typically carved with a closed mouth, as if pronouncing “um,” the final syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet. Together, these two syllables form the sacred Sanskrit word “aum,” meaning the beginning and the end or alpha and omega.

In my experience, the komainu on the right, a male, sometimes has one paw raised and resting upon an embroidered ball. Here, the komainu on the left, a female, is seen sheltering a komainu cub with her paw.

What caught my eye was how detailed and relatively new this komainu appeared. And to be honest, I don’t recall seeing many such statues with a cub under the paw — or maybe I just never noticed it before.

It was a reminder that even the simplest shrines hold quiet stories and details worth noticing — if I only take the time to stop and look.

  • Location: Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan
  • Timestamp: 2025/01/09 17:06
  • Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
  • ISO 2000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/10
  • Classic Negative film simulation

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