In Okinawa Prefecture, plans are taking shape to build a monumental lion-shaped statue shisaof the damaged tiles of the fire-destroyed Shuri Castle.
The project, led by Mitsuo Miyagi, a 47-year-old Shisa artist and president of the Okinawa Shisa Association, aims to promote memory and revival.
“The shisa is a symbol of Okinawa. I hope it will remind people of Shuri Castle,” he said.
Shuri Castle, a historical symbol of the region, suffered significant damage in a fire in late October 2019, with the loss of eight buildings, including the main hall and gates.
“It was a shock,” Miyagi remembers. “But when I thought about reconstruction, I immediately thought about using the damaged tiles.”
Traditionally, shisa are placed on roofs and at the entrances of buildings in Okinawa as protective deities believed to ward off fire. Broken tiles and other materials have long been used for plaster shisha.
Miyagi’s proposed statue will be 33 feet tall, built with stucco and mortar, and decorated with the red tiles salvaged from the castle’s ruins.
“Shisa is a natural part of our lives. We hope that Shuri Castle will become like this again,” he added.
The planned location for the statue is in Tomigusuku town, adjacent to Naha, where it will be made visible to passengers arriving at and departing from Naha Airport. The project is being discussed by city officials, with crowdfunding one of several ways to raise money.
Miyagi, who has previously incorporated powder tiles from Shuri Castle into his paint for shisa artwork, hopes the giant shisa will not only honor the castle’s legacy but also help revitalize the community.
Translated by The Japan Times
