The guardian dogs of Yasaka Shrine, built next to Shofuku-ji Jizo Hall, stared with fierce faces

Yasaka Shrine's guardian dogs standing next to Shofuku-ji Jizo Hall

It stands so close together that it is hard to tell whether they are adjacent or on the same property. The Yasaka Jinja Shrine is casually located right next to the Jizo Hall of Shofuku-ji Temple, which is designated as a national treasure. In contrast to the Jizo Hall whose history, history of renovation and other information can be found on the Internet, no information about Yasaka Jinja Shrine can be found on the Internet. Since it is a Yasaka Jinja Shrine, it is probably dedicated to Gozu Tenno, but I do not know much about the shrine's history.

The Yasaka Jinja Shrine here is a very small one. As soon as one enters the shrine grounds from the road, there is a torii gate and a simple shrine pavilion stands beyond it. On either side of the short approach to the shrine, there were Komainu (guardian dogs). Since they are guardian dogs, of course, they have scary expressions on their faces and are guarding the precincts of the shrine to prevent evil things from entering. However, the fierce glare of the guardian dogs is somewhat comical.

The reason for this comical appearance may be the imbalance of their bodies. The body is a little small to support the fearless face, and this gives the figure a cartoon-like flavor. I am not sure if this was the intention or just a coincidence, but the imbalance between the face and the body is a cute feature of this guardian dog.

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