A pair of stone sculpture Shishi (guardian lion dogs) sits on “Tamaudun,” a royal mausoleum for the second Sho dynasty. These Shishi sculptures seem to have been built when Tamaudun was constructed in 1501. During the war, they fell from the stone tower, and were temporally kept in the Prefectural Museum. When the renovation of Tamaudun was completed in 1977, the Shishi sculptures were returned to their original position.

Basic information

Address

903-0815 1-3 Kinjo-cho Shuri Naha Okinawa

TEL

098-885-2861 Tamaudun Administrative office

Business hours

Viewing time: 9:00 - 18:00
(Last admission 17:30)

Close day

None

Charge

Viewing admission:
Adult 300 yen (Group 240 yen)
Child 150 yen (Group 120 yen) ※ Junior High School and younger.
Elementary school and Preschoolers accompanied by a parent or guardian are free.

Parking

None

Access information

Across from the Shuri Castle Park Rest Center.
On the left about 150m west from the Shurijo-mae intersection on Samukawa-dori street which runs through Shuri Castle Park.

URL

http://www.city.naha.okinawa.jp/kakuka/kyouikubunkazai/bunkazai/

Additional Information

Academic information

Cultural property(Prefectural designated Art craft)
Designated date: December 14, 1956
A pair of stone sculpture Shishi (guardian lion dogs) sits on “Tamaudun,” a royal mausoleum for the second Sho dynasty. These Shishi sculptures seem to have been built when Tamaudun was constructed in 1501. When you face the mausoleum, you can find shishi holding a cord in its mouth and playing with a ball on the top of the right tower, and shishi fondling a cub on the top of the left tower. They were placed for guarding the mausoleum. The shishi sculptures of 1.2m high are made of a hard rock called diabase and placed in a standing position. It is unknown who made these shishi sculptures, but they are valuable sculptures to know about shishi lion dogs in Okinawa and the history of the sculptures. During the war, they fell from the stone tower, and were temporally kept in the Prefectural Museum. When the renovation of Tamaudun was completed in 1977, the Shishi sculptures were returned to their original position.

Quote

Naha Board of Education Cultural Heritage Division (2007) "Naha cultural property" Naha Board of Education