A pair of stone figures waits beyond the torii — open-mouthed Agyo and closed-mouthed Ungyo guarding the approach. Originating from ancient Indian lion statues and transmitted via the Korean peninsula, komainu reached their classic form with the 1203 National Treasure stone lions of Todaiji's Nandaimon, then spread widely to common shrine precincts in the Edo period. Wolves at Mitsumine, rabbits at Okazaki, mice at Otoyo — a thousand-year history of guardians whose form shifts according to the deity's divine messenger.