Komainu at Namba Yasaka Jinja

Komainu at Namba Yasaka Jinja

Description

Title:
Komainu at Namba Yasaka Jinja
Caption / Description:

A Komainu (狛犬) guardian lion statue at Namba Yasaka Shrine (難波八阪神社 Namba Yasaka Jinja), in Osaka city, Japan.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu):

Komainu (狛犬・胡麻犬), often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures either guarding the entrance or the inner shrine of many Japanese Shinto shrines or kept inside the inner shrine itself, where they are not visible to the public. The first type, born during the Edo period, is called sandō komainu (参道狛犬 visiting road Korean dogs), the second and much older type jinnai komainu (陣内狛犬 shrine inside komainu). They can sometimes be found also at Buddhist temples, nobility residences or even private homes

Ubiquitous as they are now at shrines, Komainu have been used outdoors only since the 14th century. In Asia the lion was popularly believed to have the power to repel evil, and for this reason it was habitually used to guard gates and doors. In Japan too it ended up being installed at the entrance of shrines and temples next to the lion-dog. Being exposed to Japan's rainy weather, the pair started being carved in stone.

Tags / Keywords:
  • Asia
  • Shrine
  • Japan
  • 日本国
  • Nihon-koku
  • Kansai region
  • 関西地方
  • Kansai-chihō
  • Osaka prefecture
  • 大阪府
  • Ōsaka-fu
  • Osaka city
  • 大阪市
  • Ōsaka-shi
  • Naniwa-ku
  • 浪速区
  • 神社
  • Jinja
  • Kinki region
  • 近畿地方
  • Kinki-chihō
  • Namba
  • 難波
  • Nanba
  • Temple
  • Namba Yasaka Shrine
  • 難波八阪神社
  • Shinto
  • 神道
  • Lion-dog
  • Komainu
  • 狛犬
  • Guardian statue
  • Lion statue
  • shishi
  • 獅子

Admin

Date Original Photo Taken:
Original File Name:
_DSC0985a.nef
Event:
Rating:
Date this image added/last updated on website:
Original File Dimensions:
2563px x 3831px
File Type:
JPEG
Color Mode:
Original Image Color Profile:
Nikon Adobe RGB 4.0.0.3001

Location

Location Shown:
Sublocation:
Namba Yasaka Shrine
City:
Osaka
Province/State:
Osaka prefecture
Country:
Japan
World Region:
Asia
Location Created:
Sublocation:
Namba Yasaka Shrine
City:
Osaka
Province/State:
Osaka prefecture
Country:
Japan
World Region:
Asia
Geo-location:
34.661211666667, 135.49669333333 View on map

Rights

Copyright Status:
Copyrighted
Licensing Status:
Rights Managed
Available for Editorial Use:
Yes
Available for Commercial Use:
No
Copyright Notice:
© 2009 Dave Kennard

Camera Data

Date Digital Resource was created:
Shutter speed:
18000 s
Aperture:
f/1.6
Camera Model:
Nikon D200
ISO:
100
Exposure Compensation:
-1
Focal Length:
50mm
Focal Length (35mm equiv.):
75mm
Metering Mode:
Multi-segment
Flash:
No Flash
Exposure Mode:
Auto
White Balance:
Manual
Light Source:
Cloudy
Exposure Program:
Aperture-priority AE

Additional shooting metadata

Lens:
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm F1.4D
Filters used:
Additional Optics used:
Setup:
Handheld

Post Processing

Image Modified:
Software used:
  • Nikon Capture NX 2
Post Processing:

-0.3 exposure compensation in CNX2
Curves adjustment to brighten and add contrast in CNX2
Straightened in CNX2