Tomori Stone Lion

On a hillside in a lovely green park is a monument known as the Tomori Stone Lion. Standing approximately 5 feet tall it is an enduring reminder of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. One photo taken during a battle shows the Tomori Lion, even then of unknown age, sitting in the barren, desolate landscape that had become Okinawa. In the photo American soldiers seek shelter next to the only solid object to be found, the Lion. Bullet holes can easily be seen in the body of the Lion.

The Tomori lion was placed near the village of Yaese in 1689. It is the oldest village shi-sa on Okinawa and was said to be the village guardian and protector against fires.