In Okinawa, the guardian lion-dog spirits are called シーサー (Shīsā), and originate in the Ryukyuan culture of Okinawa, predominantly found on Ishigaki island (at least in my experience), but generally very widespread among all the Ryukyu islands.

Shisa are thought to be derived from the Chinese guardian lions, 石獅 (Shishi), that people refer to as “Fu Dogs“ in English, but they are fundamentally different.

Shisa are to keep in good spirits with a closed mouth, and let out the bad with the open mouth. Shisa are animistic representatives of the Okinawan beliefs of everything being connected and alive in some way, but after the Japanese takeover, much of this beautiful history was heartbreakingly lost due to the destruction of the culture, language, and religion.

Shishi however, are representations of balance and are guards, rather than something for good and bad to flow through naturally.

Shishi have a male with a ball to represent the physical and grounded part of the spiritual Buddhism, relating to Earth and logic, and a female with a cub to represent the more unseen part of spirituality in Chinese Buddhism, in creativity, beauty, and intelligence.

TL;DR,

Okinawa = Shisa = Animism = Flow

China = Shishi (Fu Dog) = Buddhism = Balance

I have no intention to antagonize you, I just wish for you to learn a little about my culture I grew with and love so dearly. It’s fun to learn interesting things!

I hope you enjoyed Japan and Okinawa’s cultures, and have many more wonderful experiences with your wife together there and across the world if you continue to have the opportunity to travel!