Shisa Traditional Cache

There are endless variations of Shisa on Okinawa. In this location, you will see an example of the Shisa with long hair vs. the short hair most commonly found around the island.  This can be a quick P&G or a starting point to walk and collect other caches.

Shisa (シーサー, Shīsā), Okinawan: shiisaa) is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology. People place pairs of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some evils. When in pairs, the left shisa traditionally has a closed mouth, the right one an open mouth.^[1] The open mouth (male) wards off evil spirits, and the closed mouth (female) keeps good spirits in.