Will Miss #217 - koma inu

In front of some homes, and most temples in Japan, you see a pair of statues or figures of stylized dogs called "koma inu". They are meant as guardians and are related to Chinese guardian lions ("fu lions"). One of them always has its mouth open and the other has its mouth closed. They are like this because one makes the sound "ah" and the other "hum" (or "um"). I'm always interested in the different presentations of these dogs and the art behind them. Some are clay, others stone, and some plastic. Some are very Chinese in appearance and others rather simplified and "cute".

I'll miss seeing these figures "guarding" people's homes.

Will Miss #71 - dressed up statues

When you first see a statue at a little shrine or temple dressed in modern clothes, it looks like someone has been playing a sacrilegious joke. The truth is that they are adorning the statue in red in accord with the meaning of the color in Shinto and Buddhist culture. In Japan, red is seen as driving off demons or disease. Red bibs, hats, etc. on statues of deities has spiritual significance, despite the fact that it looks rather whimsical and frivolous.

I'll miss seeing deities in bibs and caps.

Will Miss #29 - statues of the colonel

For reasons I've never been clear on, there are plastic or plaster statues of Colonel Saunders in front of nearly every KFC in Japan. During certain holidays, they put costumes on him (Santa, traditional Japanese garb). There's something both a little creepy and cool about this welcoming mannequin.

I'll miss the weirdness of seeing the Colonel immortalized in cheap materials and in high gloss paint.