A Year in Pictures – Fukusaiji Turtle Head

[swan_tower]

This work by http://www.swantower.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

A lot of temples in Japan are built on a traditional format, involving lots of wood and ribbed roof tiles and the usual thing you see in photos. Every so often, though, you find one that’s . . . different. Like this one, where the roof is carved to look like a giant turtle, with Kannon riding its back and a bunch of children looking up at her adoringly. This is the head of that turtle, and it’s really just . . . odd, man.

Originally published at Swan Tower. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

The style looks similar to the guardian lion (?) statues (haetae) that I would see in Korea, actually, although I don't have any further details: some examples (http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/haetae/Timeline).

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

. . . are those supposed to be scary? Intimidating? Something other than refrackulously adorable? :-)

Eventually I'll post an image of the rest of the temple, and people will see how bizarre the whole thing is.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

Haetae were always explained to me as good-luck guardians of...something. Good luck, anyway; my emotional association with them is not scary or intimidating but "warm and safe and comforting."

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay -- when you said "guardian," I assumed they were to repel bad things or whatever. And I just really want to hug them. :-)

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I have hugged haetae statues. =)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh, very cool.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

GIANT TURTLE IS WATCHING YOU.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

are you sure it isnt a temple dedicated to Gamaera?

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

<snerk>