Ok I learned a bit about these little guys while on a tour in Sapporo recently.
I will tell you what the guide said.
I am not saying it is 'The Truth' or perfectly correct or whatever but I thought it was interesting.
First, they originally came from China (or Korea, the guide was vague) and that's what the 'Ko' means in their name, something about foreign kanji or something. Inu means dog.
So these guys are supposed to live at temples. They possibly guard them? It was unclear. Some Japanese people I have talked to about Komainu are unsure, they say the Komainu don't actually guard the temples but other people say yes, they do.
A lot of Japanese people take pride in their culture but don't really know anything about backstories or history of anything despite saying proudly that they have no religion (and then saying that they are both Buddhist and Shinto but still not religious even though these are both religions).
It is not that I am saying this is particularly bad, but I do find it confusing... same as talking to people who say they are Jewish but not religious... I thought Judaism is a religion.
Apparently certain cultures intertwine religion and culture so deeply that they become unable to separate them, but still insist they are not religious. It is a thing that I don't really understand because I am religious.
I hate to say it because I dislike organised religion, but I had a very nasty discussion with a non-religious person about this exact topic (ie; that I am religious because I believe in God and go to church and identify as a Christian) because I am a little anti-religion. I began to think that belief and religion are perhaps two separate things. Because I didn't want to be associated with organised, main-stream religion. I don't fit in at church, and never have felt comfortable there. But I believe in God. I agree with the Apostle's Creed wholeheartedly, and follow Jesus' and the Bibles teachings.
However this is somewhat off-topic, sorry.
Let's finish by me telling you the end of this anecdote with my apologising to the person I argued with the next day and telling him that yes, I must be religious but since I dislike religion I was upset to be confronted so bluntly about it. I made myself apologise to him because frankly, it was not his fault that I got so defensive, he did not actually attack me or the Christian faith (or any religion) at all.
ANYWAY!
Back to our little Komainu!
I asked later if they are the same as Shiisa which are lion dog statues in Okinawa, but someone said they are not (even though they look very similar to me).
The Komainu - there should be two, they represent the moments of human birth and death. The one who represents birth has an open mouth like when we are born, we cry (it is saying 'Aaaaaa').
The one who has a closed mouth represents us in death, when we are dying we say 'Mmmmmm'.
That's it.
Sorry, anti-climactic.
I wanted to ask where they are placed, does it have to be in a specific part of the temple grounds, and do they have to be placed in a specific order, eg; death on the left and birth on the right or whatever, but I had no time. And also are they Chinese or Korean in origin? Most likely Chinese, I think, because Chinese culture is the oldest in Asia, I think... Indian is pretty old too...
(I know almost zero history but even I know that Chinese first, then African combined with Middle Eastern cultures are the two oldest - sorry if what I 'know' is wrong though). Oh whatever, I am not a history buff.
So -
There are Komainu at my local Shinto shrine also.
I am going to hopefully interview the priest there and I will ask him.
Also, some Komainu carry a ball or a scroll in their mouths so I want to ask that meaning.
Oh btw here's a picture of an offering made to our local Omikoshi (portable shrine) in summer.
You need to click on it to see the whole picture.
It's interesting because I was told that people don't always offer fish to a kami, yet here is a fresh fish. Apparently it is not the usual type of fish which might be offered to a god. I have no idea.
All these items have a type of significance, btw our local kami seems to be considered a rain god (so obv a fertility god also).
I don't know if all local gods are also rain gods or not. So vague! Sorry, I would like to study and learn more about religious practice in Japan but I am not here for that (kinda wish I was).
The dried foods in the middle there are also used often at weddings, each item has significance because its name can be made into a pun meaning lucky or long-life or something like that.
Again the Japanese person I was with was surprised that they gave these items to the kami, she said it was unusual. I am not sure if she commented on several things being unusual practice because she herself is proudly non-religious and so does not know much about Shinto or Buddhist ritual except for the usual new year, wedding and funeral stuff everyone knows, or because it really is unusual.
Apparently shrines and temples each have specific individual ('only made by us, unique items, buy now, maybe it's your only chance!') luck charms or specific ways to pray or behave when on site. Which I find a little confusing but it's not bad because they are willing to gently explain to everyone who comes so it's actually all ok.
Btw did you know many people drive their new car to a shrine to have it blessed by a priest, yes it's true - it's weird seeing people driving their cars onto sacred grounds to have them blessed but I still understand the idea behind it.
Ok ok enough 'Religion time with the foreigner in Japan'.
Have a good day.
:)
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