We visited Cape Zampa in Okinawa. There were a few engraved pictures of what looked like soldiers falling in battle and another of many people watching a departing sea vessel. Like everything else, it was all in Japanese, so it is hard to depict what is being said. There was a cylindrical wall of what would resemble a turret for guns or a fortress for gunmen, most likely used in the battle for Okinawa. Much of the terrain here was hard coral rock, resembling lava rock. I can tell you that it didn't make for a good place to sit and a bad place to fall! The sharp coral lined the sea and came up in huge cliffs on which we were standing. We had to take care to not lean too far over the edge for the shear drop offs.
This 1/2 lion-1/2 dog like figure is found all over Okinawa, usually in pairs. They are symbols of Okinawan mythology. Their name "Shisa" means "the guardian dogs". They are classified as gargoyle beasts in magic typology. They are seen on many gate posts and rooftops throughout Okinawa and were a figure to "protect from evil spirits". The open-mouthed lion was the one to ward off the evil and the close-mouthed lion was to keep in the good spirits. Many argue whether the closed-mouthed lion is female, meaning that this is how a female should be, mouth-closed, or whether is male, depicting a man keeping in his family's good fortune. Whatever the view, these dog/lion like statues are known as guardians. The more modern artists of today add their own signature and style to these cultural artifacts, some are comical and others more serious.
This is sugar cane, growing all over Okinawa. It would seem that it grows wild, but I think it is just a prominent crop here. To me, it looked like a bunch of tall grass, or bamboo.
We visited Cape Zampa in Okinawa. There were a few engraved pictures of what looked like soldiers falling in battle and another of many people watching a departing sea vessel. Like everything else, it was all in Japanese, so it is hard to depict what is being said. There was a cylindrical wall of what would resemble a turret for guns or a fortress for gunmen, most likely used in the battle for Okinawa. Much of the terrain here was hard coral rock, resembling lava rock. I can tell you that it didn't make for a good place to sit and a bad place to fall! The sharp coral lined the sea and came up in huge cliffs on which we were standing. We had to take care to not lean too far over the edge for the shear drop offs.
This 1/2 lion-1/2 dog like figure is found all over Okinawa, usually in pairs. They are symbols of Okinawan mythology. Their name "Shisa" means "the guardian dogs". They are classified as gargoyle beasts in magic typology. They are seen on many gate posts and rooftops throughout Okinawa and were a figure to "protect from evil spirits". The open-mouthed lion was the one to ward off the evil and the close-mouthed lion was to keep in the good spirits. Many argue whether the closed-mouthed lion is female, meaning that this is how a female should be, mouth-closed, or whether is male, depicting a man keeping in his family's good fortune. Whatever the view, these dog/lion like statues are known as guardians. The more modern artists of today add their own signature and style to these cultural artifacts, some are comical and others more serious.
This is sugar cane, growing all over Okinawa. It would seem that it grows wild, but I think it is just a prominent crop here. To me, it looked like a bunch of tall grass, or bamboo.
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