noun
guardian lion-dogs at a Shinto shrine
Refers to the pair of stone statues, often one with open mouth and one with closed mouth, placed at shrine entrances or in front of halls to ward off evil spirits.
神社の入り口に狛犬が二体並んでいる。
Two guardian lion-dogs stand side by side at the entrance of the shrine.
この狛犬は江戸時代に作られたものだ。
These guardian lion-dogs were made in the Edo period.
獅子 refers to a lion in general or the mythical lion-like creature, while 狛犬 specifically denotes the paired guardian statues at Shinto shrines, which are derived from the Chinese guardian lion tradition.
The word 狛犬 (こまいぬ) literally means 'Korean dog', reflecting the belief that the concept of guardian lion statues was transmitted to Japan via Korea. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since the Heian period to refer to these protective figures.