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Apogee Photo Magazine


The Tomori Lion

Article by Keith Graff (Doc)
Photography by Michael Lynch

 

Travel to Okinawa, Japan with Keith and Michael as they take you on a photographic journey from past to present--the story of the Tomori Lion.

 


Copyright © Michael Lynch 

All Rights Reserved

 

The Lion's Wounds: Probably every caliber of bullet available at the time has left it's mark on the Stone Lion of Tomori.

Pentax K10D
f/11  1/100  ISO 100
Pentax 18-250  Focal Length 35mm
Manfrotto 725B and Cable Release


 

Its image has graced both the pages and cover of several books about the “Battle of Okinawa.” One famous picture from the period shows only the solitary stone statue perched on a knoll that is completely barren of vegetation. Another picture shows U.S. military personnel hunkered down beside it to avoid enemy snipers on the next ridge.

With its sardonic grin and its piercing eyes fixed in a resolute gaze, the Tomori Lion statue is one of the Battle’s best known survivors. Surprisingly, even though tourism is one of the pillars of the local economy, it is also one of the least visited sites on the island.

This part of tiny Okinawa is where the great WWII battle, known to locals as the “Typhoon of Steel,” drew to its bloody close. It’s also where some of the most ferocious and desperate fighting took place.
 

The true number will probably never be known, but ballpark guesstimates say that as many as a quarter-million souls met their maker during the three month long battle. To see it as it is now and compare it to historical photographs shows just how fierce the fighting was and how much the place has changed.
 

 
Copyright 2010 © Michael Lynch     All Rights Reserved     
In memory of those who died here--Photoshop enhancement by M. Meier


"Goose Bumps" Marla--don't know what else to say!  This has special meaning to anyone who's ever lived through bombs, bullets, grenades, mortars and artillery and lived to talk about it. We lock it away somewhere and only talk about it with others who've been there, too. And that's only when we get drunk.  That's all I can tell ya.  >>>Mike

Pentax K10D, f/11  1/8  ISO 100, Pentax 18-250 Focal Lenght 65mm,
 Manfrotto 725B and Cable Release


 

Though the lion amazingly survived intact, it did not go unscathed. Pock marks of varying sizes mark its body to indicate that it was hit by gunfire from just about every conceivable direction. On its left side are several large holes that were obviously made by a high caliber machine gun. The size, angle and depth of the holes indicate that it was probably made by an American aircraft during a strafing run.

 

But the story of the Tomori Lion predates the great battle. Legend has it that in the late 17th Century the people of Tomimori Village, as it was called back then, were plagued by frequent fires. So great was the problem that they consulted with a “Holy Man” who told them that in nearby Mt. Yaese there was an evil spirit that caused fires. He advised them to make a Shisa and place it so it faces the mountain. By doing so, it would allow no evil to approach from that direction. The legend goes on to say that the fires miraculously stopped.

 


Copyright © Michael Lynch  
All Rights Reserved

 

Close up of Stone Lion Dog

Pentax K10D
f/11   1/13   ISO 100
Pentax 18-250  Focal Length 55mm
Manfrotto 725B Tripod and Cable Release

 

Just what the heck is a Shisa you ask? A Shisa is a lion or “lion dog” which originated in China. They are powerful talismans that are believed to have the power to ward off evil. Today they are a cultural icon closely associated with Okinawa. They can be seen just about everywhere you look to include the entrances to homes, castles, temples, bridges, mausoleums and as is the case with the Tomori Lion, as guardians of the village.

 

Incidentally, in addition to being the largest, the Tomori Lion is assumed to be the forerunner of all village Shisas on Okinawa. Apparently the advice provided by the Holy Man must have worked, because soon afterward, other villages in the district built their own Shisa, which coincidentally on this part of the island, also face Mt. Yaese. Nothing quite breeds like success, because it wasn’t very long before village Shisa of varying sizes were to be found all over the island.

 

 Note: Although the railings going up the stairs appear to be made from logs, they're actually concrete. Realistic fences and stairs which appear to be made from logs can be found in parks throughout Japan. The colors and textures of these termite-proof trees are so convincing, you actually have to scratch one to believe they're not made of natural wood!

 

On the opposite side of the road you’ll see a small mom and pop store and a narrow side street leading into a quiet subdivision. Follow that road and the signs the rest of the way to the lion. At the last turn you’ll see a small shrine and a steep one lane paved road leading up through the sugarcane fields to the top of the knoll where the Tomori Lion stands its century’s old silent vigil.
 

Copyright © Keith Graff (Doc)  All Rights Reserved
 

Meet Michael Lynch...

 

Photo by Doc taken while Mike was composing a Stone Lion shot.

Pentax K200D with Tamron 18-200  Focal Length 24mm
f/5.6  1/60  ISO 100
Manual Focus
Manfrotto 725B Tripod

 This photo gives a sense of appreciation for how greenery has returned to the site. Sixty-five years ago, American and Japanese bombers and artillery destroyed everything on these hilltops, except for the Stone Lion.


~~~~~
 

See more of Okinawa through the lens of Michael Lynch's camera.
 

Mr. Keith Graff (Doc) works as a freelance writer/photographer and adjunct college instructor in Okinawa, Japan. He also publishes the “Goya Republic” an online Electronic Magazine (E-zine) at: http://goyrepublicezine.blogspot.com/

 

~~~~~


 

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