Ironwork Guardian Dogs (Komainu) 鉄製狛犬

Official explanation

These precious ironwork guardian dogs were dedicated to the Takachiho Shrine by the first shogun of Japan, Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). They were designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1971 due to their age and cultural value. Originally, the dogs sat on either side of the shrine’s entrance to protect against malevolent spirits.

Foundation Stone (Shizumeishi)

Read the full explanation

This stone is thought to have been used as a foundation stone long ago when the Takachiho Shrine was originally built by order of the eleventh emperor of Japan. Its presence served to appease earth spirits of the ground on which the shrine was built. Today it is a key element of the shrine grounds, and has become a site for praying to ease one’s worries and find peace. Some say that spiritual energy can be felt emanating from it.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.