Shisha Dogs and Sushi

Ok, so here I am living on this gorgeous tropical island in Japan and guess what? I have discovered my new favorite thing: SHISHA DOGS! And you thought I was going to say sushi right? Well, first you probably want to know what the heck is a Shisha Dog? When Mr. Top Gun and I arrived on the island, I began to notice these figurines which sit outside of doors and places of business and they appeared to be some sort of lion. I asked around, and found this out:

Okinawans believe that Shisa-lion sculptures guard against evil sprits. Shisa Lions or Shisa Dogs are commonly represented on the island of Okinawa, which is a part of Japan located in the Ryukyu island chain, Shisa (pronounced ShiSAH) means "Lion dog", and its similar to the Foo dog of China and the Shishi dog of Japan. The Okinawa adapted shisa from China, where they usually served as guardians of Buddhist temples.

Most Okinawan homes, offices, hotels, and even government buildings have at least a pair of these creatures on permanent watch. The Commissary here has a pair when you enter the building. Very cool!

There are some that believe that the "Shisha Dog" or "Shishi" came to this part of the world from ancient Iran where a Lion is still called a "Shere" but over the years somehow morphed into a dog-like "shere," now known as a Shisha-dog.

NOTE: These mythical creatures are known as both Shisha or Shishi dogs. So, here is my deal with these awesome creatures: I LOVE THEM! I have been saying "Shisha Dog" for the last week now, (non-stop almost) and Mr. Top Gun gets a kick out of it when we drive by a building and he points and asks me: "Hey, love what are those things called?" My reply... "SHISHA DOGS!" I looked in the BX for some and these little guys are not cheap. The terracotta ones run around 35-40$ just for ONE. You see, in order for them to work you must purchase two of them. The left one is female and the right one is the male, and when you enter your home they are supposed to take your warrior spirit away, making your house calm and pleasant. I really, really need to find some and put them on our door step. NOW. My warrior spirit is still in our house... and I think it's not going to leave until our household goods arrive!

Our favorite new sushi joint up the road from our house

Yes, that is in the shape of a flower! It is tuna with avocado and spicy sauce.
I have also managed to eat sushi for lunch and dinner about the entire time we have been here. See, I told ya'll I had a serious addiction to sushi when I first blogged, and living in sushi heaven only makes it worse. Mr. Top Gun just smiles at me and laughs, and then hands over his wallet so I can pay for the sushi :)