Guardian Dog Widening Its Eyes

Shot at Ichogaoka Hachiman Jinja, a Shinto shrine in Asakusabashi, Tokyo.

There is a small Shinto shrine near the Asakusabashi station. It was Ichogaoka Hachiman Jinja. Although it is modest, it is said that this shrine has a long history. Its foundation is 1062 in legend. I don't know whether it is true or not. Anyway, this shrine has been highly popular with the locals for a long time.

As soon as passing through the Torii, I found two guardian dogs. They were stone-built and stationed aside of the approach way. The guardian dog is stationed in every Shinto shrine. Yet the appearance presents an infinite variety. This guardian dog was widening its eyes while looking upward. It seemed to be close to losing its wits a little.