The guardian dogs at Akagi Jinja Shrine look like a crushed Snoopy or a sphinx

Akagi Jinja's Komainu
Akagi Jinja's Komainu
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The reason I felt the atmosphere was quite different from when I visited more than 20 years ago seemed to be due to the construction work, dubbed the "Revitalization Project," that was carried out from 2009 to 2010. The slightly dim and somber image I had previously felt at the Akagi Jinja Shrine in Tokyo's Akagi Motomachi is no longer anywhere to be found in the current precincts of the shrine. The precincts, designed and supervised by architect Kengo Kuma, have a very modern feel. For better or for worse, the shrine grounds, which even have a café attached, are now built in a way that makes it seem as if it was built in 1300, without giving away the shrine's history.

The shrine pavilions were also dilapidated and were rebuilt as part of a revitalization project, so there are no old buildings to be found in the precincts of the shrine. The komainu (guardian dogs) in front of the shrine pavilion are also of modern construction. The guardian dogs on obelisk-like pedestals are not as rough as those of lions, but more like mascots. It looks like a slightly squashed Snoopy or a figure of the Sphinx. If you come here late at night, you may be asked a riddle.

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日本語
Jun 2022 STILL LIFE TOKYO

PHOTO DATA

No

12288

Shooting Date

Apr 2022

Posted On

June 6, 2022

Modified On

August 13, 2023

Place

Akagi Motomachi, Tokyo

Genre

Still Life Photography

Camera

SONY ALPHA 7R II

Lens

ZEISS LOXIA 2/35

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