Lion guardian statue at Hokoku Shrine, Osaka
Description
- Title:
- Lion guardian statue at Hokoku Shrine, Osaka
- Caption / Description:
-
A Komainu (狛犬) or shishi (獅子) guardian lion statue at Hōkoku Shrine (豊國神社; Hōkoku-jinja) in Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園; Osaka-Jō-Kōen), Osaka, Japan.
Komainu come in pairs of statues, usually almost identical, but one with its mouth open, the other with its mouth closed. This is a very common characteristic in religious statue pairs at both temples and shrines. 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.
Komainu strongly resemble Chinese guardian lions and in fact originate from Tang dynasty China. The Chinese guardian lions are believed to have been influenced by lion pelts and lion depictions introduced through trade from either the Middle East or India, countries where the lion existed and was a symbol of strength. During its transportation along the Silkroad, however, the symbol changed, acquiring a distinctive look.
Description adapted from Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu
- 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
- 神社
- Jinja
- Kinki region
- 近畿地方
- Kinki-chihō
- Temple
- Shinto
- 神道
- Komainu
- 狛犬
- shishi
- 獅子
- Chuo-ku
- 中央区
- Osaka Castle Park
- 大阪城公園
- Osaka-Jō-Kōen
- Hōkoku Shrine
- 豊國神社
- Hōkoku-jinja
- Guardian lion statue
Admin
- Date Original Photo Taken:
- Original File Name:
- _DSC1179.NEF
- Event:
- Rating:
- ☆
- Date this image added/last updated on website:
- Original File Dimensions:
- 3872px x 2592px
- File Type:
- JPEG
- Color Mode:
- Original Image Color Profile:
- Nikon Adobe RGB 4.0.0.3001
Location
- Location Shown:
-
- Sublocation:
- Hokoku Shrine
- City:
- Osaka
- Province/State:
- Osaka prefecture
- Country:
- Japan
- World Region:
- Asia
- Location Created:
-
- Sublocation:
- Hokoku Shrine
- City:
- Osaka
- Province/State:
- Osaka prefecture
- Country:
- Japan
- World Region:
- Asia
- Geo-location:
- 34.68428, 135.52662666667 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:
- 1⁄200 s
- Aperture:
- f/5.6
- Camera Model:
- Nikon D200
- ISO:
- 100
- Exposure Compensation:
- 0
- Focal Length:
- 70mm
- Focal Length (35mm equiv.):
- 105mm
- 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-S VR Zoom Nikkor ED 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G(IF)
- Filters used:
-
- B+W UV 010 MRC
- Additional Optics used:
- Setup:
- Handheld
Post Processing
- Image Modified:
- Software used:
-
- Nikon Capture NX 2
- Post Processing: