Okinawa, Japan 19: Shisa Dogs and Tsuboya Pottery Village
Written & Directed by James Knott

If you do not see a video box here, then this video can be seen on YouTube.

Tsuboya Pottery District is the home of Okinawa's pottery makers. Learn about the Chinese-influenced history of this district and the significance of it's most popular item - the Shisa Dog. Fire up the kiln and enjoy taking awalk down this quaint little street. You can find a Shisa dogs almost anywhere in Okinawa - rooftops, doorways, parades and more.

OKINAWA, JAPAN

Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture. Over 1.25 million people are scattered across nearly 150 islands.

Okinawa has a unique culture that goes back several hundred years to when it was an independent country known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. This kingdom was known to trade frequently with China and as a result adopted much more from the Chinese than the rest of Japan.

The main island, Okinawa-honto, is surrounded by vivid, bright blue ocean and coral reefs. It is densely populated and urbanized in the south, while the the mountainous northern part of the island consists of just a few fishing villages and dense forests.

The beautiful, sub-tropical setting combined with historical roots that are more intertwined with China than Japan, have created a wonderful culture that is distinctly Okinawan.

TRANSCRIPT
Okinawa, Japan 19: Shisa Dogs and Tsuboya Pottery Village

AFTER YOU NAVIGATE THE ALLEYS OF HEIWA-DORI, YOU MIGHT STUMBLE UPON THE TSUBOYA POTTERY DISTRICT. TSUBOYA HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF OKINAWAN POTTERY SINCE 1682 WHEN A ROYAL DECREE COMBINED THREE POTTERY DISTRICTS INTO ONE.

AS WITH MANY OKINAWAN ITEMS, TSUBOYA-YAKI STYLED POTTERY WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY CHINA, WHO BEGAN IMPORTING POTTERY TO OKINAWA IN THE 12TH CENTURY.

WHEN YOU WALK DOWN THE MAIN STREET – CALLED YACHIMUN-DORI – YOU PASS MANY SMALL SHOPS SELLING BEAUTIFUL POTTERY IN THE ISLAND’S TWO MAIN STYLES - JOYACHI – WHICH IS GLAZED – AND ARAYACHI – WHICH IS UNGLAZED.

TODAY THE OLD STYLE KILNS NO LONGER EXIST IN NAHA, BUT CRAFTSMEN STILL CREATE POTTERY IN NON-POLLUTING ELECTRIC KILNS.

BROWSING THROUGH THE SHOPS YOU FIND MANY TEAPOTS, CUPS, SAKE FLASKS, ETC.

BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THERE ARE SHISA – LOTS OF SHISA. THEY COME IN MANY DIFFERENT SIZES, COLORS AND POSES AND THEY FILL MANY, MANY SHELVES IN TSUBOYA.

I BLEW THESE OFF AS TOURIST TRINKETS BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO TOUR THE ISLAND. BUT – AFTER SEEING THEM ALL OVER OKINAWA – I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT THEY WERE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CULTURE.

IT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GO A DAY IN OKINAWA WITHOUT SEEING THIS TRADITIONAL RYUKYUAN DECORATION.

THEY ARE THE GUARDIANS OF OKINAWA. THEY ARE PLACED OUTSIDE OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS.

SOMETIMES THERE IS A SINGLE SHISA PLACED ON THE ROOF TO PROTECT ITS INHABITANTS AND OTHER TIMES THERE ARE TWO SHISAS GUARDING THE MAIN GATE OR ENTRY. WHEN THERE ARE TWO OF THEM, ONE HAS ITS MOUTH OPEN TO SCARE OFF EVIL SPIRITS AND ONE HAS ITS MOUTH CLOSED TO KEEP IN THE GOOD SPIRITS.

THE SHISA IS A LION’S HEAD WITH A DOG’S BODY AND WAS INFLUENCED BY THE IMPERIAL GUARDIAN LIONS THAT ARE POPULAR IN CHINA.

THE MOOD OF THESE ICONS CAN VARY DRAMATICALLY FROM STOIC – TO MEAN – TO COLORFUL AND SILLY.

STATUES CAN BE FOUND EVERYWHERE ON THE ISLAND – AT PARKS – ON BRIDGES – POST OFFICES – ANYWHERE YOU CAN IMAGINE.

HOWEVER, YOU GET TO SEE THEM COME TO LIFE AT MANY OKINAWAN FESTIVITIES.

SHISA ARE EVEN FOUND AT OUR NEXT STOP – SHURI CASTLE.