The Shīsā Lion Dog of the Ryukyu kingdom

A solo traveler too needs protection from evil spirits - be it from jellyfish in tropical coral gardens, Habu snakes on a trail in dense rainforest, or be it simply an exotic food experience.

However, long before offering me that 'good luck charm', the Shīsā Lion Dog has been tasked in the Ryukyu kingdoms to prevent evil from coming into a home.

Already at that time construction of buildings was restricted by rank. Encircled by a coral limestone wall and trees, a classic wooden house has a ceramic tiled roof and is raised off the ground. In addition it is surrounded by an overhanging roof for protection and air circulation to enhance living quality.

Nowadays concrete buildings substitute the classic residences, but the farer you depart from the main island Okinawa, you'll still find those structures fit into their environment - some of them built before the Meiji period.