Komainu

komainu of Togan-ji

Komainu is placed at the each sides of the gate to keep evil spirits
from entering the precincts of a shrine or temple.


They are always settled as a pair: one with its mouth open and the other with it closed,
so-called a-un posture.

World largest Komainu are in Mizunami City, Gifu Pref. H 3.3m, W: 1.56m, D: 2.4m, Each Komainu weighs 1.5t They are mino-ware/minoyaki. A huge kiln with a chimny made by nine-joined dums was built. . 5,000 pine-fuelwood were burned. A total of 1,000 local people involved in making them It took 273 hours(12days) for firing.