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HACHIKO n`ö. One of Japan's most widely known dogs. A bronze statue of Hachiko is installed just outside Tokyo's Shibuya train station. It commemorates Hachiko for his incredible loyalty to his owner. Nine years after his master's death, the dog still waited for him in the same spot near the train station, repeating the same routine day after day.
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DOGS FROM KOREA AND CHINA. Koma-inu ¢ (Korean Dog) or Shishi q (Chinese Lion Dog) refers to a pair of dogs with magical properties & the power to repel evil spirits. Statues of the pair traditionally stand guard outside the gates of Shinto shrines to ward off evil spirits. One is often depicted with mouth open & the other closed. "Ah" is the first sound in the Japanese syllabary and "Un" is the last. This open-closed mouth symbolizes all possible outcomes (from alpha to omega, birth & death) in the cosmic dance of existence. The Koma-inu (sometimes one sports a horn) are derived from Koma ķ, the Japanese term for the old Korean kingdom of Koguryo åķ. For reasons unknown (to me), the horn disappeared long ago in Japan. Shishi is translated as "lion" but it can also refer to a deer or dog with magical properties. Learn More.
 
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SHISHI LION DOG & HEADDRESS. The "Dance of the Lion-Dog" (Shishi-mai) is performed in Japan at various Shrine festivals -- in some localities, the dancers visit homes in the neighborhood to cast charms against evil spirits and diseases in return for offerings. Performers wear a lion-dog headdress (shishi-gashira). This headdress, moreover, is traditionally placed near newborn babies to protect them from evil spirits and misfortune. Today there are still many skilled craftspeople making these headdresses.
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