Many westerners are unaware that the karajishi / karashishi is a lion. A somewhat terrifying creature that guards Japanese shrines and often guards homes/businesses throughout Japan, the Karajishi literally translates to Chinese Lion. Lion do not exist in Japan, so when the Chinese shared ideas with the Japanese, much of the artist depictions of lions was stylized based on verbal descriptions, creating the interesting lion imagery commonly seen throughout Asia.
When we created our brand, we played off the word Shishi / Lion as part of our brand's name and have created the cutest little mascots, Shishi-maru and Shishi-ko. However, for all the years that we had our mascots, we never had a traditional karajishi design for our shop and we are proud to share our traditional design with you all. The two lions might look a little vicious, but they're actually play fighting over a ball with the kanji for fuku (luck). As protective creatures, they're a perfect symbol of protection to wear with you at all times. We've created two variants, one of a more traditional color scheme, and one with our more vibrant color schemes used in our original characters.
About the Collection
This was the sixth design for 2023’s Moujuu Pin Club theme centered around animals. Each month we include a new animal pin(s), sticker sheet, and little info card/trading card that either introduces a new original animal character or historical significance within Japanese lore.
Details
Size: 2.25"
Material: Gold-Plated Hard Enamel
Backing: 2 Rubber Clutches
Quality: Standard • B-Grade
Learn more about pin grading here.
Extra Features: Shishido Creative Backstamp, Screenprinting, Unique Backing Card
Shipping
Estimated Delivery: We ship from Seattle, WA via USPS First Class. It takes about 2-3 days for domestic orders. For international orders, it takes about 1-6 weeks depending on location. Learn more about shipping here. We now have the option to add insurance here!