Shisa is a Japanese protective spirit or guardian deity in Okinawan mythology. People place pairs of shisa on either their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses, with the left shisa traditionally having a closed mouth and the right one an open mouth. The open mouth shisa wards off evil spirits while the closed mouth shisa keeps good spirits in.
Like the komainu ("lion dogs"), the shisa are a variation of the guardian lions from China. Gender is variously assigned to the shisa. Some Okinawans believe the male has his mouth closed to keep bad out of the home, while the female has her mouth open to share goodness. Others believe the female has her mouth closed to "keep in the good," while the male has his mouth open to "scare away the bad."
"A legendary creature said to repel disasters and misfortune and bring good luck to villages. Shiisa resemble a cross between a lion and a dog. They are revered as guardian deities in Okinawa. Their form is thought to be derived from the lions of the ancient Orient. Shiisa are holy beasts that possess the power to repel demons and exorcise evil spirits that cause fires. Shiisa statues can be found in a variety of places, such as on the roofs of houses and outside temples. The statues are placed so that they face northeast (toward the Demon gate), south (to guard against fire), or the direction of a gate or cross-street."
—Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE compendium
Shiisaa can be contracted within Nakano Stone Site's bronze-level instance and acquired through the Third Home hacked chip instance. Oversized nightmare variations can be encountered within the Suginami Tunnels instance.
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse[]
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and grant them fortune. It looks similar to Shinto guardian dogs, but is actually modeled after a lion. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu lore."
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and grant them fortune. Though it may look similar to Shinto guardian dogs, it is actually modeled after a lion. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu lore."
—Shin Megami Tensei V lore
Shiisaa is a member of the Holy race and is only obtainable through fusion.
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers[]
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and grant them fortune. It is known to have power to keep evil away. Ceramic statues in its image are placed on the roofs of houses, in similar fashion to gargoyles. In Okinawa, souls of the deceased become balls of fire and will burn houses, but Shiisaa keeps such spirits out."
—Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers 3DS compendium
Soul Hackers 2[]
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and bless them with good fortune. It is known to have the power to repel evil, and ceramic statues made in its image are often placed on the roofs of houses in a similar fashion to gargoyles. In Okinawan culture, the souls of the deceased are said to become balls of fire and burn houses, but Shiisaa are said to keep the spirits out."
"A beast who protects houses from evil and grants fortune. It looks similar to Shinto guardian dogs, but is modelled after a lion. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu myths."
—Persona Q compendium
Persona 5[]
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and bring good fortune. They look similar to Shinto guardian dogs, but are actually modeled after a lion. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu lore."
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and bring good fortune. They look similar to Shinto guardian dogs, but are actually modeled after a lion. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu lore."
—Persona 5 Strikers background
Shiisaa is a Persona of the Chariot Arcana and can be found as a Shadow in the later areas of the Okinawa Jail. It is a target in the requests "Prison Mail, Part 5" and "Okinawan Art Appreciation." For the first request, Lavenza is looking for a Unicorn that knows the Zionga skill. Shiisaa has Zionga as an innate skill, and can pass it on to Unicorn by fusing it with a Black Ooze, Mothman or Succubus. For the second, the protagonist must kill ten Shiisaa for Yusuke.
Persona 5 Tactica[]
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and bring good fortune. They look similar to Shinto guardian dogs, but are actually modeled after lions. There are many stories about it in Ryukyu lore."
—Persona 5 Tactica background
DemiKids Light & Dark[]
"Guardian demon that resembles a lion. Known far and wide as the protector of homes."
"A holy beast said to protect houses from evil and grant them fortune. It is known to have power to keep evil away. Ceramic statues in its image are placed on the roofs of houses, in similar fashion to gargoyles. In Okinawa, souls of the deceased become balls of fire and will burn houses, but Shiisaa keeps such spirits out."
—Devil Survivor 2 compendium
Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2[]
"An ancient holy beast from Okinawa, modeled after the lion. The name Shiisaa comes from the Sanskrit word for lion "Simha." This holy beast is said to protect houses from evil and grant great fortune. There is a custom to place a ceramic figure of the Shiisaa on the roof of a house to ward off evil and bring good luck. Locals believe that the spirits of the dead turn into fireballs and are the cause of house fires which the Shiisaa are said to prevent."
Shiisaa's dialogue when obtaining it in Devil Survivor has it say "Nankurunaisa". It is an Okinawan expression, referencing its presence in Okinawan mythology, with its modern meaning being "Everything will be OK".
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